There’s more to Children’s movies than Ra.One
and My Friend Ganesh. Taking stock of all the movies we’ve seen over the
years on children, Halabol has summarized a list of five, which have
delivered strong screenplay and role characterization in relation to
pressing and sensitive social issues.
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However, 2011 has seen a great upsurge of movies based on children in animation, super hero movies and even those addressing social issues in light hearted but effective ways. Taking stock of all the movies we’ve seen over the years on children, Halabol has summarized a list of five, which have delivered strong screenplay and role characterization in relation to pressing and sensitive social issues.
Taare Zameen Par (2007)
One of the most successful children’s movies in the Bollywood box office, it added bright colors of hope and optimism from the greyish perspective that people maintained of children with any special needs and challenges. More than that, it brought clarity in the way ‘common people’ perceived and understood the finer differences between the kindof disabilities as well as the importance of the education system finding a way to discover a child’s talent or skill and not to dogmatically impose itself on a child’s imagination. Darsheel Safary portrayal of a dyslexic child left many ‘mummies’ and ‘daddies’ incredibly moved, increasing the awareness and importance of special education in schools.
Zakhm (1998)
Many don’t view this typically as a children’s movie given the ‘adult’ issues like religion, communal conflict and extra marital relationship that it deals with. But Zakhm is a mature children’s movie, one that gave more credit to a child actor than just playing ‘problem child’ or ‘patty cake’ roles. This is one of those rare movies (which is neither in the art or independent genre nor completely mainstream) that gave depth and complexity to childhood and shows how many children in socially exceptional circumstances ‘grow up’ faster than the rest. Kunal Khemu hasn’t been able to outdo his own feat in this role till date as an adult actor.
I Am Kalam (2011)
"It is a crime to dream small. The world out there wants you to be like everyone else, but I want you to strive hard to be unique. Continuously strive to acquire knowledge about the world around you as it will give you power," said Former President APJ Abdul Kalam (Source: The Times Of India). This quote alone summarizes most of the movie about the story of a child labourer in a small dhaba in Rajasthan who is lovable, ambitious and a fast learner in all equal measures. Stereotypically pet named, Chotu befriends a young Rajput prince to whom he introduces himself as ‘Kalam’ as a token of his inspiration to dream big and work hard to become a ‘suited booted’ professional. Beyond the father figure, the movie also touches on childhood friendships that often cut across social boundaries like class or status that’s hard to replicate in most adult relationships.
Masoom (1983)
One of the craftiest works in Indian Cinema and easily the most touching movie on children, the ripples of which affect us till date whether it is with playful tunes of ‘Lakdi Ki Kaathi’ or the empathic tone of ‘Tujhse Naraaz Nahi Zindagi’. Jugal Hansraj plays the dashingly cute kid whose single mother passes away and leaves him to his dad, married to another woman with daughters. Matter of wonder how Shekhar Kapur’s in his debutant directorial work gave such a delicate story a classic touch instead of an over the top drama it most likely could have been.
Stanley Ka Dabba (2011)
Amole Gupte, the Director of the movie, was quoted in an article in The Times of India, “One can't make a film on child labour and also have the child slogging it out for 12 hours shooting for it.” Which is why, he shot Stanley Ka Dabba on weekends and summer vacations of the cast involved and took particular attention in making sure that his son, Partho Gupte (the wonderful protagonist of SKD) had his Sundays free for fun and games. SKD is not the in-your-face kind of cinema and instead Gupte has relied more on subtle techniques to slowly and surely affect the audience with the larger issue in hand by contextualizing it in small pockets of everyday reality. With a small budget, zero marketing and short life on the silver screen, this movie has managed to win many hearts besides the well-deserved critical acclaim. He next plans to make a film on segregative education and non-inclusive teaching in India.
Are there any movies on children from any genre or format that you would recommend as a good watch? Would you be as excited to watch a children’s movie as much as any other commercial or art movie?
