To Topknot or Not?

A short film for the CBBC ‘Snaps’ series.

Starring Sahib Rattan

Written by Jaspreet Kaur

Watch on CBBC here.

14 year-old Jag is a care-free, easy-going Sikh boy who loves nothing more than playing footie with his mates, but he’s finally lost his patience with his classmates after the new kid at school asks if he’s wearing a handkerchief around his topknot. Jag feels like he spends his life answering stupid questions about his hair and he’s had enough. Is this something he’s going to have to face all his life? And why didn’t his friends stick up for him? Would life be simpler if he just cut his hair? After all his brother Kully did just that, and life seems easy for him now … but it’s not quite that simple for Jag.

In this short coming of age film, we see Jag make one of the toughest decisions of his life to date. Does he honour his Sikh family values and traditions and start to wear a turban – or will he cut off his hair to fit in with his mates?