Synopsis - The Chronicles of Happiness

“Our present is the one we try to escape from, past the one we want to revisit but not dwell on, and future as something we are equally afraid of and fascinated by.”

One’s present is often the most disappointing phase of life. With every passing moment, where the present fades away and turns into the history of our existence, we begin to compare our present with the sweet memories of past and ambitious glory of the future.

The performance would focus on the themes of nostalgia and the hues of regret and delight that comes along with the reminiscence of the past. Addendum to that, the performance would elucidate the discontent, disappointment of the present and optimistic yet uncertain and unfulfilling prospects of the future.

Synopsis

We are introduced to Kundan and Jatin, two 17-year old boys based in a religious city of India known as Mathura. Both of them are chosen to be the subjects of a documentary, where they are interviewed separately. Both of them come from a lower middle-class economic background. While being involved in the conversation with the interviewer, they talk about their family, hobbies, dearest choices (sport, book, movie etc), school, and friends.

While both of them are exposed to these questions, there comes the final question, “Where do you see yourself in 10 years?”

Kundan comes up with a pragmatic approach that he plans to go to the best engineering college of India, juggle the degree and part-time job, staying in the west and amass as much money as possible. Jatin on the other hand, casually says, “I don’t know. Somewhere happier, I guess…”

0 years later, we see Kundan and Jatin in their early 30s where the former works in a UK based MNC and the latter owns a photography studio in Mathura. Kundan lives with his wife and children and is living the life he had described 10 years ago. His mother has passed away, father lives alone in Mathura and siblings are settled in different corners of India. Jatin, on the contrary, lives with his parents in his childhood home.

Both of them are exposed to the questions related to their current lives, leisure activities, passion, love, regret and ambitions. While concluding the interview, the interviewer asks both of them the same set of questions which are as follows:

1. What are the things you miss now from when you were 17?

2. Where do you see yourself in next 10 years?

3. Some of the advices you would give to your 17-year-old self?