The film, directed by Nazneen Bhatia and Anshul Adhikari, shows Roshni’s uncluttered life in Kullu district.
Roshni review: Engaging documentary about a simple woman from Himachal and her dreams
Cinestaan Rating
/ 45min
Sonal Pandya | Mumbai, 17 Jan 2019 21:00 IST
For the first few minutes of Roshni, the subject of the documentary doesn’t make an appearance. But when she does, you understand her appeal and draw.
Roshni, along with husband Jaidev, lives at the foothills of the Himalayas, in Raogi village of Himachal Pradesh. Theirs is a simple life. They live in a 100-year-old home (still sturdy) and grow their food on their land. Roshni proudly shows off the vegetables she grows and the apple orchard that will bear fruit in the spring.
The incredibly positive and happy-go-lucky Roshni has never travelled out of Kullu district and yearns to see the city of dreams, Mumbai. Her husband is supportive of her dreams but confesses that while she might enjoy the city, she won’t be happy there, away from the basic necessities that their natural surroundings provide.
As we find out more about Roshni, we suspect that too. The 44-minute documentary, directed by Nazneen Bhatia and Anshul Adhikari, follows Roshni and her simple life in the beautiful mountains in the shadows of the Himalayas. It holds her up as an example to promote a more natural lifestyle and return to simpler living.
Others who have been interviewed for the documentary, a Sanskrit scholar and school principal Om Kumar Sharma, Shani Nageshwar temple's Shani Baba and Dr Vandana Shiva, the Vedic ecologist and quantum physicist, all voice the same concerns. They echo a concern for the lost ways of the past. In particular, Vandana Shiva blames consumerism and the current culture for our break with the natural ways of living.
When the focus moves away from Roshni, the film seems to wobble slightly. The intentions and purpose of the film also seem unclear then. But when the literal and figurative ray of light returns with Roshni and her big, bright smile, we realize what she represents. She is honest and open about her life, thoughts and aspirations.
For her, life has always been straightforward. There is nothing hidden. It is aspirational and clear-cut to see.
Roshni is available for viewing on Amazon Prime Video now.