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Indian Diaspora
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Starring: Devadas George, Nishendu Vasavada, Suraiya Hyder, Abhay
Dhir, Tim Shane and Stefani Case
| Adjustments...loneliness...exploration…friendship…disintegration…the
unexpected…and a daughter's unconditional love for her father that
kept a family together. |
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| My Father's Daughter, a movie about being a silent friend to
someone you love. |
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Several Indians leave their country each
year for the United States. They leave India with the hope of
a better lifestyle and standard of living and the dream to provide
for their family much more than they would be able to, living
in India. However, the search for a better life in a new country
usually comes at the cost of many things amongst which is the
comfort of living in an environment closest to one’s culture and
traditions.
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My Father’s Daughter is the story of one such family that moves
from Delhi to Dallas and the adjustments they endure as a result
of their changing environment. The story explores many facets of
family dynamics. Kantiram (played by Nishendu Vasavada), the "head
of the family", is a doting yet controlling father while Shanta
(Suraiya Hyder), his wife, is a practical and open-minded mother
that acclimates to the USA much better than Kantiram. Rohit (Abhay
Dhir), their son, is at an experimental and carefree stage in his
life, until a traumatic event makes him question his significance
in the family. However, the story revolves around the central character
Tara (Parul Bhatia), Kantiram and Shanta's daughter. Through her
affectionate and compassionate nature, Tara tries to relate to her
father's struggles in finding his identity in a new culture and
a family environment with new dynamics. Tara, although very independent
in her beliefs realizes that the assertion of these beliefs would
only weaken the already emotionally unstable condition of her father.
Rather than exercise her independence or criticize her father’s
actions, Tara tries to relate to her father’s suffering by silently
empathizing with him. |
| Having come from a patriarchal
society, Kantiram feels the pressure of providing for his family
and when he is unable to do so, the dejection and lack of respect
from his wife lead him to alcoholism. Tara feels that it is the
loving relationship with his wife that her father misses the most.
Being sensitive to his needs Tara urges her mother to be less critical
and more loving towards her husband. In the process of trying to
be a buffer between her parents, Tara feels the psychological scars
caused by the atmosphere at home. During this period Tara gets closer
to her friend, Kathy, who being from an American culture, does not
appreciate Tara not being more upfront with her father. Nonetheless
Kathy provides Tara with a strong and reliable support system. Through
Kathy, Tara meets Jai and both Tara and Jai, feel a mutual attraction
for each other. Jai shows his support for Tara at each testing stage
in Tara's life, as a silent friend much in the same way as Tara's
relationship with her father. Although Tara feels her love for Jai
growing, she suppresses her desire to immediately develop a relationship
with Jai because of the constant turmoil between her parents at
home. |
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What
follows are the incidents in the lives of the family members that
cause them to gain more cohesion as a family and accept the realities
of life. Aspects of My Father’s Daughter have been inspired by a
true story that occurred in Dallas some time ago. My Father's Daughter
is about providing unconditional love, understanding and support
for a person, regardless of age, culture, religion, nationality
or relationship. The movie shows us the fickle nature of our destinies
because of which life can never be taken for granted. It is a story
about relationships and its changing parameters in changing cultures...it
is a story that unfurls a world of bonds ... psychological, emotional,
and physical, in a familial as well as a social context.
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Saturday, November, 12 noon |
