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Culture August 16, 2018
"There's a difference between us. We are poor and lowly. We aren't worldly."
“Connecting Threads: Unleashing India” is the poignant story of Gudia Khan, a female artisan working in Bareilly. She lost her father and brother to a treatable illness when her family couldn’t afford to buy the medicine. Afterwards, she stepped into her father’s shoes and became her family’s financial support.
Throughout the short documentary, we catch glimpses of Khan’s life. In her introduction, she forgets her age, as she never attended school. She dreams of owning a house so her brother can marry. Upon seeing a woman in a bathing suit at a hotel pool, she laughs. “How strange. I wish I had a camera. I would have taken a picture.”
It’s easy to get caught up in the rat race of our day-to-day lives. We moan about our next phone bill. We groan when we can’t afford Coachella tickets. Our hot water runs out, and it’s the greatest tragedy of 2018.
“Connecting Threads” is a reminder to appreciate what we have. After the deaths of Khan’s father and brother, Khan works brutal hours to give her family success and afford her mother’s medication. She goes to bed at 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. and awakens at 5:00 a.m. for morning prayer. If there’s a rush order, she embroiders all through the night.
When she and her mother arrive at the luxury hotel for the Amazon Fashion Show, it’s like stepping into a new world. The film crew asks them to explain why they are crying.
“You’ve seen our home,” her mother says through tears. “We live in such difficult circumstances. The rent is very low. Sometimes one cries at one’s circumstances. If her father was alive, she wouldn’t be here.”
Just before the runway of the Amazon Fashion Show, Khan has a conversation with Nargis Fakhri, Bollywood actress and model. Fakhri tells Khan that they are similar since she is also the breadwinner of her family. Khan gently shoots her down.
“It’s true that both of us are shouldering responsibility,” Khan responds. “But there’s a difference between us. We are poor and lowly. We aren’t worldly. We work really hard to make ends meet. You work in movies and your life is different.”
This moment stopped me in my tracks. Khan was unafraid to look this towering, beautiful model in the eye and tell her that their suffering cannot be equated. The stark contrast between the two may seem obvious, but sometimes the perspective of privilege narrows understanding.
The foundation UNLEASHED partnered with Oscar-nominated director Amy Berg to create this short. UNLEASHED aims to spread awareness of “female artisans and entrepreneurs around the world.” With the “Connecting Threads” series, the audience is able to connect with these women and understand the story underneath the beads.
“Connecting Threads: Unleashing India” is such a successful story because Khan is so compelling. She accepts her struggles with grace, but she also refuses to let anyone else demean her problems. Khan’s unwavering strength and compassion for her family is as endearing as it is admirable.
We are so often caught up in our own lives, it’s hard to stop and appreciate what we have. Khan’s story is a beautiful reminder to not fall as a victim of our circumstances. She certainly never has.
