Unpacking Intergenerational Trauma: Director Eisha Marjara's Personal Journey with 'Calorie'

Image Source: Internet

Mumbai-based filmmaker Eisha Marjara's latest film, 'Calorie', is a deeply personal exploration of intergenerational trauma, drawn from her own experiences with the 1985 Air India bombing. The film's narrative revolves around Monika, a single mother, and her two daughters, Alia and Simi, who embark on a journey to India to reconnect with their Punjabi heritage. However, their discovery about their grandmother's fate in the Air India bombing sparks a complex exploration of family dynamics, tragedy, and loss. Marjara's own family was affected by the tragedy, with her mother and younger sister surviving the Air India flight 182 explosion. The director's curiosity about how traumatic events impact future generations drove her to create 'Calorie'. "I was curious about how when something big, tragic happens, whether it's the Air India bombing or any political or violent event, how it impacts the next generation," she explained in an interview. The film, which premiered at the 56th International Film Festival of India, features veteran actors Anupam Kher and Dolly Ahluwalia in key roles, emphasizing the importance of familial bonds amidst sorrow. Marjara's approach to the story is largely fictionalized, except for its historical backdrop, allowing her to unpack themes of tragedy, loss, and misunderstandings. Marjara's own experiences with grief and loss have been a driving force behind her filmmaking career. "I dealt with it through art, photography, filmmaking, and by journaling," she said. "So, it's just a self-indulgent act, the cliche of artist therapy." The director's work has been therapeutic for some viewers, who have found solace in her storytelling. The film's writing process was a long and complex journey for Marjara, who aimed to contextualize the tragedy without being heavy-handed. "It's very easy to label it as a terrorist attack. The bombing itself and not look at, not zoom out and look at what are the events that led to it and how it implicated different communities in the South Asian diaspora," she said. 'Calorie' has been shot in both India and Canada, allowing Marjara to draw from her own experiences growing up in Amritsar with her cousins. The film's release in India is expected to follow its Canadian theatrical debut, with producer Joe Balass expressing his enthusiasm for bringing the film to international audiences. "It's a bittersweet look at mother–daughter relationships and the longing for forgiveness speaks to all of us," he said.