Season 1 – Daughters of Destiny

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Ashley B 10/28/2023 AMAZING documentary I wish I could watch 30 more episodes. Unbelievable insight into the lives of future leaders that I can stand behind. See more Hemant S 04/07/2023 "Daughters of Destiny" is a focused documentary directed by Academy award winner Vanessa Roth about Shanti Bhavan, an enterprising and brave charitable educational institution based near the outskirts of Bengaluru (previously Bangalore). Brave because it strives to educate a small portion of children who come from the extremely poor families; families that are still shunned and disregarded purely based on their caste and lineage. Enterprising because it doesn't step back from being the part of a solution to a widespread problem, which even in this day and age may take decades to solve. Dr. Abraham George was a thriving entrepreneur and businessman in the US of A, when he decided to return to his homeland with an intent to solve socially relevant issues and problems that he had heard of. He may have encountered the real size and magnitude of these issues with time, but he hasn't taken a step back. His motive and ideology may root from his own history with India, where he served in the army, rose in the ranks and bore the marks of being on the frontline. The documentary flows over four one-hour parts and takes you through a few journeys. A few I could pick were that of Shanti Bhavan itself, and those of five budding girls who were taken in by the school in the early 2000s – Shilpa, Manjula, Karthika, Preetha and the youngest, Thenmozli. The most essential motives of Dr. George in educating students from such an underprivileged section of India has been to build values in them, such that they would work towards becoming economically independent enough to uplift their communities, and to propagate the same value in children of the future. One of the many things that stood out for me was the very objective view and comparison to Dr. George's outlook, and to that of his son Ajit's (who is the Director of Operations), with their methods of encouraging children to study. As Ajit says quite clearly at a moment in the documentary – the method of the carrot and on the other hand, the method of the stick. The difference in thought arises in the generation gap, as would apply to every other individual old and young in this country. The girls' mastery over spoken English is impressive and striking, especially that generally neutral accent. One could attribute that to constant practice, and an educating culture that brings in volunteers from all over the globe. Their conflict between the sheltered and liberal environment at Shanti Bhavan and back home is evident – especially the poor environment and patriarchal social norms. But their love and affinity for their hardworking mothers is that factor that always, always ties them to home. The individuality of each girl child is looked at closely as they grow up. Not everyone is born or destined for academic excellence, and that aspect is eventually respected even though it may not be what Dr. George has always hoped for. What they go through back home and their conditioning across both worlds' forms a key element towards what their ambitions will eventually be, and Roth dedicates a whole lot of time and depth to each of the five girls across seven years of their lives, in and out of Shanti Bhavan. The mastery of being a "fly on the wall" throughout the girls' day-to-day lives as Roth documents it is commendable; for Roth, the girls and their families as well. A.R. Rahman's score, composed with his team of musicians, Qutub-E-Kripa forms a grounding marquee for the episodes mostly through the titles and credits. The narrative through the documentary, mainly by Shilpa who is a budding writer and journalist, and the other girls is particularly articulate and makes you feel and ponder at the same time. I honestly don't think I could ever do justice by summarizing Dr. George's passion or Vanessa Roth's effort towards bringing his initiative forward, but I hope there's more that can we can do as a country to broaden minds and eradicate such cultural issues. There are many, many lines through the documentary – sensible, deep and those that will stir thoughts. These seemed to stay with me. Dr. Abraham George, about what his intention is with the children's thought process about parents: "With parents, children learn that their goal should be to improve their lives. They are not going to change their ways of living, very much. They are not going to change their well set ideas about many things; marriage and you know all these things. Don't try all those things. Just make sure they have food, they have a nice shelter, they have a little convenience and little pleasures. That's what all you can do, for your parents." Ajit George, on the conflict faced by the girls between home and Shanti Bhavan: "The Shanti Bhavan kids, I hope we're raising them with progressive ideals and values. And they will have to navigate that between two worlds. And if it's gonna be tough for them, it's gonna be tough for them. If they have to fight for an ideal or a value, they have to fight for that ideal and value. And hopefully, they will support each other. Because these are human values. They are not Western values or Indian values. These are common human decency." See more 07/29/2017 Beautifully shot. The intimate visuals delivered the emotional impact of the powerful personal stories. Watching the girls grow up and speak so eloquently and openly about their dreams and challenges was moving. Inspiring. Subtle soundtrack complemented the story and theme wonderfully. See more Read all reviews

Daughters of Destiny — Season 1

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