Written By: Siddhartha Krishnan
(Link to the documentary is at the end of this description/post)
One of the stops during our recently concluded Himalayan sojourn was a 200-year-old house, which happens to be my wife’s (Kavita) maternal home. I have heard extensively about the house from my wife several times over the years. So, there was no way that we were going to give this opportunity a miss. Nestled in the heart of Almora, Uttarakhand, the house reminds us of the bygone days. It has its own history. But it was abandoned all of a sudden.
I was shooting random videos inside the house, when a thought dawned on me that the story had the potential to be made into a documentary. However, I only had a smartphone in hand to document what I was witnessing. The only lights at my disposal were the flashlights from our phones and whatever little sunlight that was creeping in from the windows that hadn’t been opened in ages. My 8-year-old provided the much-needed comic relief in what was otherwise an emotional experience. In all that time we were in that house, my wife wasn’t aware of my intentions.
I wanted it to be a surprise for her.
Kavita hadn’t visited her maternal home for over 25 years. So, this short documentary is an attempt to capture the moments, relive her childhood memories and understand the history, and emotions attached to the place. But I also see this documentary, as an opportunity for all of us to relive our childhood through her. We all had that one favorite house from our childhood. Didn’t we?
Have a look. Hope you like it.
Click the YouTube link below to view the video –
The Homecoming – Short Documentary
Siddhartha Krishnan is the author of Two and a Half Rainbows – A Collection of Short Stories. He is also an enthusiastic blogger and, on his website, www.whatsonsidsmind.com, he regularly puts out his essays, articles, travelogues and movie reviews.
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What a beautiful house, and what an amazing journey that was. How wonderful to find all those things from when your wife was a child. It’s a great film, Sid.
Thanks Mike! I am so happy that you connected with the story!
Definitely!