They say, all of us are products of our circumstances. Someone may be highly skilled and talented but without a nurturing and supportive environment that talent will not be able to shine. No matter what their circumstances are, once people start finding a supportive environment, they shine their brightest.
‘Kshamata,’ a short film by ace filmmaker Shoojit Sircar, tells us a similar story about a young girl with speech and hearing impairment whose courage and determination helps her unlock her true potential and find her independence. This film was launched by KFC India on the occasion of International Day of Sign Languages, earlier this year.
With a speech and hearing impaired protagonist, Ishmeet, at the centre of the story, the film pulls you in and helps you understand what her life is like - extremely protected and dependent on family members. Aptly titled ‘Kshamata’, the film depicts the untapped potential that the protagonist possesses and how using her sheer determination she turns her life around, despite all-odds and societal pressures.
The film subverts all expectations by staying with your conscience much after it has ended. ‘Kshamata’ couldn’t have had this kind of an impact without the authenticity of its actors. Staying true to the overarching messaging of the film, the central character of Ishmeet was beautifully brought alive by Ashmit Kaur & Sapna Soni, two specially-abled non-actors, who brought their own perspectives and personal experiences.It’s no surprise that when Ishmeet refuses to do as she’s told, we as viewers get invested in the situation’s outcome. Credit must be given to filmmaker Shoojit Sircar who chose authenticity as the key factor to narrate this heart-warming story.
Brands like KFC India have walked the talk when it comes to empowering the specially-abled by creating employment opportunities for them. Since 2008, KFC India has been employing and supporting more than 150 speech and hearing impaired team members. As part of their Kshamata campaign, the brand has pledged to double the number of Special KFC restaurants, (operated by speech & hearing impaired team members) and women in the workforce by 2024.
To spread awareness and acceptance of sign language, the brand also launched the #SpeakSign campaign, on International Day of Sign Languages, encouraging consumers to interact in sign language, across the 33 Special KFC restaurants, across 19 cities.
With the efforts of brands like KFC India and filmmakers like Shoojit Sircar, our workplaces should hopefully look more diverse and inclusive in the near future.
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