When I met Kailash Satyarthi in Kolkata in early 2007, he had not received Noble Peace Prize yet. However, he had already been widely regarded in the South Asian Development sector for his work with 'Bachpan Bachao Andolon'(BBA), which works for the prevention of child trafficking and child slavery in Northern India.
During the weeklong meeting program, I saw he was accompanied by his son Bhuvan most of the time. The father and son duo, both taller than any average Indian, clad in bright white kurta pajama, full of stubble on cheeks always stands out from others.
They had come to Kolkata to initiate an Anti-trafficking rally stretching from Kolkata to Nepal to Delhi, aiming to create propaganda for the anti-child trafficking issue across South Asia. It was the beginning of my career and I was really a novice to understand the colossal aura and magnitude he had.
Later when he received Noble Peace Prize in 2014, I had to revisit his works again, evaluating the dynamics of in-depth human trafficking discourse.
Cut to 2021
Years passed on.
On a sunny morning in the middle of May, I had a virtual webinar with some representatives from a Film Funding Foundation from USA. The discussion went on the issues like film distribution, funds, forum, co-production, broadcasters. They talked about the films they produced to date. They referred to a special film they had collaborated in India a few years ago. They were showcasing the film - 'PRICE OF FREE'.
Life is nothing but a small cycle where you meet some people repeatedly throughout your life, intentionally or unintentionally, with an unspecified objective the fate has in storeā¦
Every encounter with the person, be it physical, virtual, or on celluloid, renews your thoughts and evaluation again and again and influences you more and more from a different perspective.
Here I have rediscovered Kailash jee again in PRICE OF FREE
Don't miss the full film if you have time.