This Children’s Day we re-visit some of the best loved films which either had children as the protagonists or were styled in such a way that it made a healthy viewing for children.
Chak De India (2007)
Directed by Shimit Amin, this story was inspired by a real life story of goalkeeper Mir Ranjan Negi who was disgraced by losing out to Pakistan in the 1982 Asian Games. Ostracised by all, he redeemed himself by coaching the Indian Women’s Hockey Team only to see them lift the 2002 Commonwealth Games Hockey Gold and proving his detractors wrong.
The film had Shah Rukh Khan playing a disgraced coach who then comes around coaching a gaggle of sixteen contentious players into a champion team.
What kids learn: team work, discipline, hard work and humility.
Taare Zameen Par (2007)
This Aamir Khan starer and directed film set new standards in teaching children in India. For the film had as its protagonist a free spirited 8-year old dyslexic boy (a reading disability) called Ishaan who is bad in academics and is misunderstood by his parents, peers and friends.
What kids learn: the joy for life, enjoying the process of learning
What elders learn: the unnecessary academic pressure that is put on children in the name of learning
My Friend Ganesha (2007)
This is story of 8 year old boy Ashu who is lonely as his parents work and have no time for time. All he has for company is his maid who takes care of him. To cheer up the small boy she tells him stories of Lord Ganesha.
In time, Ganesha becomes a part and parcel of little Ashu’s life and soon he starts to become friends with Ganesha who appears to him every now and then and helps him with all his problems. In the process they have loads of fun too.
What kids learn: Mythology is fun now, triumph of good over evil, and devotion
Koi Mil Gaya (2003)
This film inspired by ET and Alien but with a different story line than those, was a big hit with kids. It had as its protagonist Hrithik Roshan who plays a boy who is mentally challenged; he behaves like 10 year old kids.
However, one day he and his friends discover a machine that his scientist dad built to communicate with aliens. It so happens that they actually manage to communicate with aliens who then descend on the sleepy town. Sadly a mishap occurs and they have to leave and in the rush one of the aliens gets left behind. The creature is saved by Hrithik who then becomes friends with him and helps him overcome his disabilities.
What kids learn: magic of science, victory of good over evil
Haathi Mere Saathi (1971)
Technically not a kiddies’ film, but the theme of love and compassion for all is certain to win hearts. It is the story of an orphan boy brought up by elephants who grows up to start his own zoo which houses other wild animals and his own four elephants.
Rajesh Khanna plays the protagonist who then falls in love and marries his lady love played by Tanuja. When their child is born, the wife has apprehensions about the kid’s safety in the presence of so many wild animals and asks her husband to choose between his animals and wife/son. Khanna chooses to stay with his animals. It is then that Ramu, his favourite elephant goes about bringing the lovers together but in the end paying with his life.
What kids learn: love and compassion for animals much before Bollywood stars started campaigning for PETA.
Rani Aur Laal Pari (1975)
This was our very own desi Cinderella with Neetu Singh playing Cinderella and Reena Roy playing the fairy godmother. It was a faithful re-production of the fairy tale, complete with European style dressing.
What kids learn: apart from a time for good story telling, it shows goodness triumph over evil
Hanuman (2005)
Here’s a classic tale that tells the story of Hanuman right from before his birth to his final act of devotion to Lord Rama. But it’s not just that which endeared it to all—children and adults. The treatment of the film was so interesting what with baby Hanuman up to so many tricks like flying up to the Sun only to gobble it thinking it to be a ripe mango; flying through planets, skiing on lightening to swimming in gushing forests streams and what not!
What kids learn: Apart from being a colourful and fun-filled initiation into Hindu mythology, it marked the coming-of-age of Indian animation.
Iqbal (2005)
Here’s a tale of a deaf and mute boy (played by Shreyas Talpade) from the interiors of India who overcomes his difficulties and inabilities to do one thing that he aspires to do—play cricket for the Indian team.
Helped by a local drunkard coach played by Naseeruddin Shah who in his prime was a great talent himself and egged on by his kid sister, Iqbal realizes his dream.
What kids learn: patience, perseverance, hard work and belief in oneself
Mr. India (1997)
This Anil Kapoor-Sridevi starer is the story of a local do-gooder but foolish man (played by Anil Kapoor) who runs an orphanage with his cook friend with one room given on rent to a budding local reporter played by Sridevi.
While he struggles to keep the orphanage going, he discovers that his father had invented a machine that could make people invisible. With the help of this device and together with Sridevi and his gang he goes about beating the bad elements in society.
What kids learn: Apart from victory of good over evil they also marvel at the wonders of science as this film is among the earliest of science fiction films made in Bollywood. Then one also learns about kindness and care for others.
Makdee (2002)
Truly a kiddies’ film and a thriller too! It’s the story of Chunni, her twin sister, Munni and their encounter with a witch who lives in a haunted mansion played by the redoubtable Shabana Azmi. Chunni is a prankster who fools around in her village while Munni is the docile one. Now, there’s a haunted house in the village where the witch stays and the story goes that anyone who strays into the mansion is promptly turned into an animal. One day one of Chunni’s prank backfires on her and her docile sister has to enter the house. The witch turns her into a hen.
A hapless Chunni runs pillar to post to get help from the villagers but all turn their backs on her. Helpless she enters the mansion and is confronted with the witch. She begs and pleads with the witch to spare her sister as it was her fault. The witch agrees but strikes a deal—she is prepared to turn Munni back into a human but only after Chunni gets her 100 chickens in exchange.
What kids learn: pranks are fun but they can be trouble too, so be careful
Boot Polish (1954)
A film made way back in 1954, it is still very relevant today. It charts the life of an orphaned brother and sister who are forced into begging by their aunt who robs them of their meager earnings. While begging once they meet a bootlegger John who rebukes them saying it’s better to die than beg. Their pride pricked, the brother and sister manage to save up some money to buy themselves a boot polish kit and start polishing boots.
When their aunt gets to know this, she throws them from her home. Forced to live in the street, in time people refuse to give them boots to polish too. Helpless, at a railway station a rich family adopts the girl while the police sends the boy to an orphanage. Ashamed at this slight, the boy runs away only to meet his sister at the railway station, who runs after her brother. She is set for a vacation with her new family. Enter into the scene is the bootlegger who runs after these two kids only to fall and bleed. Seeing him, the boy stops and in time both the kids are adopted by the family.
What kids learn: dignity of labour, sibling love
Anjali (1990)
Among the earliest Mani Ratnam films to be dubbed in Hindi from the original Tamil, it is the story of a young couple and their two children who adopt a young girl. While the husband secretly visits someone daily, the wife one day gets suspicious and confronts him only to find out that her husband visits a terminally ill child. In time, the entire family falls in love with Anjali who eventually dies.
What kids learn: love, kindness, a giving nature
Mili (1975)
Not strictly a kids’ film, but a very endearing film on niceness of being, family values and humility and love for life. A terminally ill Milli lives in an apartment complex, loved by all and quite a live wire in the neighbourhood. Into the complex moves a young man who loves his drinks, is a loner and hates communicating with the world. Watching this live wire of a girl with a gang of little children who are also her friends, his heart melts and inner self comes forth.
He falls in love with Milli only to know later that she is suffering from an incurable disease. At first, he wants to move away from the place as he can’t bare to see her die. But later decides to marry her despite her illness. The last scene shows the couple bound for abroad for Milli’s treatment as her father waves out to them.
What kid’s learn: virtues of love, goodwill and importance of positive thinking, ability to fight against odds
A truly kiddies film but with an ambitious theme. It has a gang of small boys in a neighbourhood called Chandan Nagar. When a new boy member Bheedu enters the gang he is accepted with open arms. Sadly, Bheedu gets into some problem with a local politician. It is then that the boys gang up together to teach the politician a lesson.
What kids learn: determination, grit, steely resolve
A story that hacks back to the innocence and sweetness of childhood is here—up there. This is the story of Stanley Fernandes who is 4th grader in school and is immensely popular with other students and teachers. Sadly, he doesn’t get a dabba or tiffin box to school. But all his friends love him so much that they share their tiffin with him.
Enter the villain—the Hindi teacher, Mr Verma who doesn’t get his food too but loves to gobble what his students get. He is called ‘Khadoos’ by all. All kids hide their tiffin from him but he eventually gets to know. He also threatens that Stanley better get his dabba or not come to school. For a few days Stanley is missing from school and all miss him. Then, one day Stanley comes with his dabba which he shares with ‘Khadoos’ who is hugely embarrassed and leaves the school. In time, it is discovered why Stanley hadn’t been getting his dabba.
What kids learn: friendship, camaraderie, victory of good over evil
In spite of being born into abject poverty, Chhotu an inventive child with a cheerful disposition does not let his grim circumstances defeat him. In order to support his family, he works in a small road side food stall during the day; however spends his evenings voraciously reading books he has somehow managed to gather. He someday dreams of getting an education, and commanding his own destiny.
One day, upon hearing a speech from Dr. Abdul Kalam, the former President of India, Chhotu vows to change his future. Just like him, the former President too suffered great hardships as a child, but through sheer determination, perseverance and hard work mapped his own course.
What kids learn: Positive attitude to life, virtues of good education, having a good role model
Here’s a live action film for children. Starring the Taare Zameen Par hero Darsheel Safary, it is the story of an orphaned boy who is abandoned by his heartless uncle to fend for himself. Left alone, he digs deep into his reserve of courage comes out to face the world. In the process he becomes Zokkomon. A story of betrayal and bravery, it is very inspirational for kids.
What kids learn: bravery and courage to face problems in life.
The authorized version of Iranian classic, Children of Heaven (1997), this is the story of a boy and sister combination who come from a poor family. One day the brother loses his sister’s only pair of shoes and then begins a roller coaster ride to getting a new pair of shoes.
A story of great compassion, the original was much feted film nomination for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
What kids learn: compassion for the poor and determination to fight against all odds.
Ghatothkach (2008)
An animation film based on the mythological character Ghatothkach, son of Bhima and Hidimba. He was supposed to be as strong as his father and had as big a heart as his mother. He was known to be very loyal and devoted and gave up his life fighting alongside his father in the battle.
What kids learn: sense of sacrifice, devotion, large-heartedness, family bonds
Blue Umbrella (2005)
Set in a small Himachal Pradesh village, it is the story of a blue umbrella and its owner, a small girl named Biniya. The girl trades her bear claw necklace to get a beautiful blue Japanese umbrella. Soon, she is the centre of attraction in the entire village. Noticing her is the richest man in the village, shop keeper who owns an old ruined shop. He won’t buy one for himself, but sets a small boy to steal it from her.
Soon the girl loses her umbrella while the shopkeeper is seen flaunting a bright red umbrella. Soon the village gets to know that girl’s blue umbrella had actually been stolen by the shopkeeper who then dyed it red.
The villagers force the shopkeeper to return it to the girl and boycott his shop too.
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