Concept

Chhoti Si Zindagi is set in the backdrop of the 'shelter' in middle India. A shelter / orphanage is a microcosm of life. It provides an unlimited canvas to portray various social issues through the characters who come in and go from the shelter. Different characters with different stories to tell. In this shelter arrive two sisters - The macro story is their story. How two sisters come to terms with abandonment and etch a future for themselves. How they also come across various characters in the course of this stay and become witnesses to their stories. Each story will deal with an issue.

 

The Treatment

 

The treatment will be heartfelt bittersweet moments with the story told from the point of view of the children. It is their take on the world and not the world's take on them. It is a journey into their world of make believe, their innocence and certain unbridled optimism towards life even in the face of hardship and suffering. A narrative laced with humor and avoiding the dark bleakness that would characterize the grim nature of an orphanage

 

The Setup

Isha and Ira are two sisters. Ira is 7 and Isha 13 years old.

Isha always addressed her father as 'Shyamji'...it was so because as an infant when she accompanied her mother to the fields carrying lunch for her father, the mother always reached the edge of the field and called out her husband 'aye Shyamji !'..and Ira copied her yelling out..'aye Shyamji'.. her mother scolded her for doing so but her father Shyam loved it.

Isha's earliest memory of her parents was, she being held by her mother n father in a manner wherein, her mother held her feet and father her hands and stretched between the two they swung her as she laughed and they shouted, "jaldi se badi ho jaa Isha..jaldi se badi ho jaa Isha".

Isha soon grew up and small Ira was given in her arms. Isha became her mother.

Shyam fell further into the trap of loans and with nothing to till found it harder to feed his children and nurse them too. Next day the three of them were waiting for the bus/train to arrive. It was Ira and Isha first time inside a bus/train. 

Ira was pestering her dad on what all she wanted to go to mela. The list ranged from a doll to a black sherbet to sweet goli..sisters roamed around like . Isha noticed Shyamji distant not making even making eye contact with her. The two sisters roamed around like Alice's in wonderland feasting their eyes on all the goodies the town bazaar had to offer. Isha was noticing father was catering to Ira's every whim. The black sherbet had happened...so had the sweet goli...two frocks had been purchased...one for Isha and one for Ira. 

The day had ended. But there was still so much to do...so much to see in this magical place. Clearly the girls were in no mood to go back. To their surprise, father told them they were not going home tonight. They were staying in a 'hotel'. Hotel? - both of the girls asked. 

Father explained them what a hotel is as they walked towards the place. They finally reached the 'hotel'. Father told them to go inside and he would pick them up tommorrow morning. FINALLY THE GIRLS REALISE THAT THEY ARE IN AN ORPHANGE- NOW WHAT WILL BE THE FAITH OF THE GIRLS WITH ALL THE NEW PEOPLE.