Rickshaw Man

Rickshaw man is a door between two very different worlds. Geographically, the story spans two continents to focus on two men, separated by social, economic, cultural, linguistic and religious differences. Yet, there is an inanimate object that brings them together-The Rickshaw.

The vast gap between the East and the West has certainly been explored in many forms. However, ‘Rickshaw Man’ is an attempt at seeking out a common thread in the tangled web of all these differences. Rickshaw pulling has been an age old profession in most underdeveloped Asian countries and now this vehicle is making its presence felt in the United States of America. However, the connotations ascribed to this profession in the East and the West are very different from each other.

We focus our attention on two men- one from New York, USA and the other in New Delhi, India. In the United States, the rickshaw is a symbol of environment consciousness. In India, it is a symbol of abject poverty. A rickshaw is an attractive novelty in the West. In the East, it is considered an embarrassment.

The film will examine how rickshaw men are viewed by the society they live in and in turn, how they view society. The lives of these two individuals are an analogy of how vast the differences are between these two countries. As we live in the 21^st century, perceived distances are constantly being reduced and the world seems to be becoming a much smaller place. We are constantly evolving and understanding ourselves as a species. ‘Rickshaw Man’ will be an important film which hopes to lead this understanding to another level.