PremiumLife In Stars on ShortsTV - A reminder to be good, an alarm about surrendering to the stars
Life In Stars is available on ShortsTV and you can watch it with your OTTplay Premium subscription.
Last Updated: 03.09 PM, May 04, 2024
For someone living in a bustling city like Mumbai, it's common to hear the phrase, “Please give me a rating on the app,” at least once every day. The world of online shopping and service outsourcing has created an ecosystem that thrives on stars. Every worker in this ecosystem is only as good as the stars given to them by their last customer. They are nothing more than a "slave bot" expected to smile and serve no matter what, while a client, who could be in any mood, has the right to decide their future based on not just the service delivered but also external pressures. Life In Stars is a short film available on ShortsTV, which you can access through your OTTplay Premium subscription, and it deserves your attention.
Life In Stars Plot
Jerryna Chon, a woman from Northeast India, has migrated to a southern state where she lives a hand-to-mouth existence with her toddler as a single mother. She works for an online beauty and wellness service hub that sends her to clients to perform the services they request. We meet her on a particularly tough day when she has not received positive service feedback. One client was so preoccupied with her own work that it negatively impacted Jerryna’s performance; another appointment went poorly right after Jerryna was given an ultimatum at her job. The pressure of earning a good rating and retaining her job, or facing unemployment, weighs heavily on Chon for the next few hours, which seem like years.
Life In Stars Analysis
Written and directed by Rafiq Ismail, Life In Stars captures the precarious existence of many people whose lives are now dependent on star ratings. Ironically, as I write this, I continue to rate films every week, helping many decide whether they should watch them or not. Life In Stars is a 13-minute short film that portrays the life of a lonely woman who has likely been through a lot. She is a single mother with no sign of a partner, striving to raise her toddler by working a job that requires her to leave him behind every day.
She steps out with a thousand thoughts and a bag full of cosmetics and wellness products needed for her appointments. But as soon as she reaches the doorstep, she is expected to forget all of that and be her best every single time with no room for error. One complaint or low rating could reduce her entire resume to zero. Faced with two underwhelming clients, how does she manage the situation?
Life In Stars examines the life of a migrant closely without making it overtly apparent. She is a Northeastern woman who has settled in a place completely alien to her upbringing. Her language is a barrier, her appearance draws attention—often not in a good way. Meanwhile, a baby waits at home, with rent due, bills to pay, and more. Amid all this, she is enslaved to the star system, with no escape.
Rafiq doesn’t offer a solution or advise moving away from the star system. Instead, he shows how inescapable it has become and that we must build our lives around these ratings. However, he also reminds us that a little kindness never harmed anyone. In the final frame, he encourages us to be humane towards people whose jobs depend on our ratings. Some mistakes can be forgiven if they are not fatal. You might unknowingly end up helping someone in need.
Life In Stars is available on ShortsTV, and you can watch it with your OTTplay Premium subscription. Stay tuned to OTTplay for more information on this and everything else from the world of streaming and films.