This film portrays an average day in the life of Ajit, an eight-year-old boy who does domestic work for a middle class family n Calcutta, He sweeps the floor, cleans pots and pans, and takes care of the employer's children, This film includes interviews with Ajit in Calcutta and with his parents in a village in Bihar, far from Calcutta.
Poverty is the primary reason why Ajit left his home to come to Calcutta. He is one of nine children,. Ajit's father, aged 38 is a sharecropper who cultivates lands owned by others. He has heard about the governments land-reform policy and his rights and entitlements, but doubts that the policy an improve the economic conditions of poor people. Neither does he practice family planning strategies such as a vasectomy, which is mentioned in the film, because "children are given by God." Ajit's parents, however, are convinced that poor children "have no future."
Ajit feel fortunate that he gets enough food to eat as wages. He wants to live in Calcutta and not go back to his village. He studied only three of four days in a village school and dropped out because the schedule for taking goats out for grazing conflicted with school hours. But he has no regrets for leaving school. He realizes that "without money you cannot do anything" and has carved out a plan for getting cash: he will buy a pistol and rob people who travel in cars on highways. He will use the money to build two houses-one in Calcutta for himself and another for his family in the village-and to buy things for his family such as televisions, cars, and telephones.
Contrary to the general assumption that child laborers are unhappy and forced against their will to work, this film shows that Ajit enjoys working. The films also provokes the viewers to think about the future of poor children with limited education and plans to get money by antisocial means. This film deals with such complex issues as land reforms and population control, as well as child labor.
The director captures the spontaneity of statement, both verbal and nonverbal, from all the respondents. One notable example is the joy that Ajit expresses when he watches television programs and practices dancing.
This film is highly recommended for college and high-school-level courses on child labor issues in Asian societies. It has been well received at various international film festivals.
