Origin is in theaters, watched it on Friday. It is the film adaptation of Isabel Wilkerson’s magnificent book Caste-The origins of our discontent. If you have not read the book please do. Even if you are not a book person, don’t miss the movie.

Reading the book I never thought of it coming out as a movie. And if someone had told me that time I would not have believed it could be done. I am so happy that Ava DuVernay made the movie. And kudos to Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor who stars as Wilkerson in the film.

For those who have read the book and wondering like me how the movie could have been made, it is the heart touching story of Wilkerson both her personal life hat leads to as she researches for the book and the tragedy and love in her life from here she sees the world and connects the dots. It is brilliant.

To research the book Wilkerson travels to Germany to know what happened there to the jews and to India to understand the plight of the Dalits and the caste system and know more on Babasaheb and what Babasaheb means to the people of India. She goes to 1930s America through the book Deep south written by Black researchers Allison and Elizabeth Davis who work with the White couple, Burleigh and Mary Gardner, in an undercover project to find about segregation in America. 

The bigotry is not about race but about caste and when you see Prima Levy’s quote “It happened, therefore it can happen again: this is the core of what we have to say. It can happen, and it can happen everywhere”, you have the realization that caste is the most effective way to legalize bigotry. 

The oppressed across space and time are connected by caste which goes beyond race and color and unless we see it in that way we will be oblivious to it when it happens now. When a new caste system takes form we should be aware. 

I have seen these form of caste systems emerge in whatsapp groups, against muslims, immigrants and other groups and new caste hierarchies are being legalized by many close to us. The othering becomes the new normal and it is not easy to witness that and still stand quiet.

I have to personally thank Anurag Minus Verma Podcast from India for which I am a regular listener and that is where I first heard of the movie and there is also an interview with Gaurav J. Pathania who plays Babasaheb in Origin.

My sincere thanks to everyone who worked on the movie and made it happen. Don’t miss it

Thank You
Vinod