Lion Film Sheds Light on India's Disadvantaged Children
Lion Film Sheds Light on India’s Disadvantaged Children
Amiti Sharma
On November 25, The Weinstein Company released the highly anticipated and critically acclaimed film Lion. This film tells the true story of Saroo Brierley and his quest to find home after being lost for over twenty-five years. After getting separated from his older brother in Khandwa, India by unintentionally boarding a train hurdling thousands of miles away from his home towards Kolkata, five-year old Saroo must survive on his own in new territory where he is unfamiliar with the language and encounters several life-threatening situations until he is ultimately adopted by an Australian family. After several years pass, Saroo becomes inflicted with intense memories of his old family, and with the help of a recently developed invention, google earth, Saroo begins his search for home. Lion is truly a powerhouse of a film, and is not for the lighthearted as its dark depictions of the forgotten territories of India and the struggling urban families and children is endlessly moving.
The New York Times writer A.O. Scott stated, “If you have ever been a child, raised a child, or known a child, this movie will wreck you.” Drawing attention to the topic of child displacement as a result of poverty, home instability, violence, and neglect, the film paints an accurate picture of the lives of many disadvantaged children attempting to live in the slums of India. With nearly 4 million children living on the street, 6 million held up in orphanages, and 15 million working as child laborers, the increasing number of child runaways and outcasts represent 30% of the homeless living among the streets of India. Fortunately, through the awareness generated from the film’s success, many organizations and funds have been started with the common initiative to educate, protect, and overall decrease the population of homeless children. Amongst them, ProjectLion was introduced by UNICEF to reinforce regulations that proper care and protection be given to children within certain facilities and institutions along with receiving quality education. Actors Nicole Kidman and Dev Patel have also started the #LionHeartCampaign which strives to aid over 80,000 children that go missing in India every year including street children that are at risk for abduction and exploitation.
While the film encompasses realistic themes that many cannot even begin to fathom, the film has received significant attention and several achievements as it is a near-perfect cinematic piece of art. Lion is nominated for six Academy Awards this year, including Best Motion Picture and Best Supporting Actor Dev Patel who gives a deeply authentic and talented portrayal of the older version of Saroo in the film. The Academy Awards will give honorable mention to the film within the ceremony, and promote the mission to continue to protect India’s children and continue to create a safer, more harmonious environment for India’s young citizens.
