Recently, Indian female cricketer Mithali Raj was conferred with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. She becomes the first Indian woman cricketer to receive this honour. Like her there are several girls who are playing an important role in every field, yet if it is about the choice of having their own child in India, parents wish to have a son.
In order to draw attention on this important issue, journalist and independent short film maker Nishant Shekhar has created a short film 'The Wish'. The five minute long film can be watched on YouTube. In just a few minutes the film is able to shake our deep rooted thinking of giving preference to male in the society. There are no long dialogues in the film, still the director has been successful in giving his message.
The film made on the issue of gender discrimination makes one to think that after all, why daughters-in-law's are always blessed to give birth to a boy? Why people sympathies on the birth of a girl child by saying that Lakshmi has come? Even today, feticide is the dark truth of our society, in which people of all classes are involved. The battle to end it has to be fought, the battle to bring change in thinking has to be won.
The rewards and recognition that Mithali Raj is receiving is just the beginning. Right now we as a progressive society have a long way to go so that successful girls are not told, 'Yeh toh mera beta hai'.
Watch the short film here: