As children we were constantly being compared to siblings and peers; as adults we tend to measure ourselves against others around us. The ill-effects of constant comparison forms the premise of ‘I Am Enough’ a short film scripted by Sujatha Balakrishnan.
In her experience as a psychologist for over two decades, Sujatha Balakrishnan regularly comes across people dealing with issues of self-acceptance.
“I strongly believe our self evaluation is highly influenced by the validation of others. This in turns affects our self worth and self esteem,” says Sujatha Balakrishnan.
“This is especially true amongst adolescents who are in an idealistic crisis at that stage of their lives. They are constantly facing questions such as, ‘Who am I? What do people think of me?’”
A particularly intense case where a teenager developed strong feelings of dislike towards a person she was constantly being compared to, made Sujatha realise greater awareness was needed on the topic.
American social psychologist Leon Festinger, known for his Theory of Social Comparison, has been an influence on Sujatha’s professional life. “Leon Festinger believed that we engage in this comparison process as a way of establishing a benchmark by which we can make accurate evaluations of ourselves. People engage in this comparison process as a way of establishing a benchmark to make accurate evaluations of themselves,” she says.
‘I Am Enough’ is the story of a promising young swimmer who is constantly being measured by the academic success of her best friend and the impact it has on their relationship as well as on the mental state of the protagonist herself. It also sheds light on how parents, teachers and peers unknowingly aggravate the mental trauma by not being more supportive.
The story and screenplay of ‘I Am Enough’ were written by Sujatha Balakrishnan and directed by Pooja Pandey Tripathi with Usha Rao handling the camera and editing. The short film took about two months to write and two weeks to film.
Theatre for Change which débuts in the film genre in association with Being Theatre will be presenting I Am Enough on YouTube on October 15.