The film draws parallels between two Lajjos - a young village girl and her neighbour’s buffalo. As the story unfolds, we see how these two have more in common than just their name. Narrated from the buffalo’s point of view, the film highlights how they both work long,

hard and selflessly for their respective families. Unless something changes, they will end up staying beasts of burden. For the girl, education is what can bring about a change because for her it is not just a human right, it is a way for her to feel human.

The brief was to create awareness about the need for girls to go to school and raise donations for the NGO Nanhi Kali, so that they can help more and more girls to get educated. Usually, these girls grow up doing household chores and assume that’s normal. It’s only

in schools that they learn that they are smart, intelligent, and capable. It’s where they learn that they matter.

In India, about 93% of girls between the age of 6-14 are enrolled to school as a result of The Right to Education Act (RTE). However, about 40% girls from under-privileged backgrounds drop out of school. During the covid pandemic school closures disproportionally impacted girls from vulnerable families, significantly increasing the dropout rates amongst girls. While boys got back to school, some girls never returned to school. They are compelled to work, be a home-maker or worse, marry early. Project Nanhi Kali (little bud), an initiative by Mahindra Foundation, supports the education of girls from low-income families to complete ten years of formal schooling by providing holistic support and quality digital education to girls, so that they are equipped to face the post-covid world.“Nanhi Kali: The Tale of Two Lajjos” is a film created to spread awareness about this issue and encourage people to donate for the cause.