I Am Kalam

Nila Madhab Panda's 'I Am Kalam' tells the inspiring tale of an impoverished boy, Kalam, forced by circumstances, to work at a local tea shop owned by Bhatti. Kalam looks at life with a pinch of salt and optimism. He's a fast learner and befriends the customers. His dream is to wear a school uniform and tie and go to school. This dream seems to come close to becoming true when he befriends a young prince but trouble soon follows Kalam.

'I Am Kalam' has both a fairy tale feel and a feel of realness. It is the director's splendid fusion of the two that makes this little film a magical experience. The direction, the score and Sanjay Chauhan's writing are quite simple yet sincere and the story is very easy to relate to. It also has a very lyrical feel to it. The score is mostly a combination of simple sound created with simple instruments (with the exception of the traditional Rajasthani song that takes place in the palace) but it's mesmerizing and among the best I've heard in recent times. The cinematography effectively captures the beauty of Rajathan and the art direction is pleasantly colourful and authentic.

The performances are outstanding. Gulshan Grover delivers one of his finest to date. The rest of the supporting performances by Pitobash, Beatrice Ordeix and especially Hussan Saad are excellent. However, where acting is concerned, the most outstanding performance comes from Harsh Mayar. Extracting a good performance from a child couldn't have been easy but Panda has done it and Mayar delivers one of the most natural performances on screen.

'I Am Kalam' is light and optimistic. It carries the simple message that every single child must be educated and deserves the right to live like a child. The film never preaches this but merely demonstrates it through the story. There is not a single melodramatic moment for it is evident that 'I Am Kalam' comes straight from the heart. Simple, Sincere, Uplifting, Inspiring and Spellbinding are at least five words to describe this precious little gem.

India is considered as third world country and the reason is justified with over 70% population below the economic level. Whenever we move out in the open we tend to forcefully ignore the scenario. As passerby we observe little kid working in tea stalls to meet their day's meal. Rarely one bother to feel for him, his wish and needs. Even being ignored they tend to build their own world of dreams and live optimistically. This year two brilliant cinema dealt with those kids for whom the world hardly cares – "Stanley Ka dabba" and then this week release "I am Kalam". Both the films are very different in their execution but both sensitively dealt with the issue of Child labor, a poignant problem of his otherwise "prosperous" nation. It also reflects that the young generation is more responsible and sensible than the orthodox old ones and they have the power to build the nation through their liberal views.

The film directed by Nila Madhab Panda straightaway comes to the point without beating around the bushes. It introduces Chotu (one of the best child performances in recent times by national award winner Harsh Mayar) who comes with his single mother to the town to earn for living. While on the way the bright eyes of Chotu stares earnestly at the school bus and the uniformed kids.It seemed the whole audience in the theater desperately wanted to see his dream fulfilled. His mother left him in arms of his distant Bhatti Mamosa meaning uncle (a superlative performance by Gulshan Grover) who owns a tea-stall and serves tea to the nearby Haveli (King's palace) and the surrounding hotels where the foreign tourists are lodged. Chotu remains true to his claims picks it up instantly whatever he see, be it making world class tea or understanding the small nuances which are liked by the foreign tourists. Sooner he becomes the blue eyed boy for Mamosa and the foreign tourists.So much so that the filmy bug Laptan (worth mentioning performance by Pitobash) who is the other assistant in Bhatti's shop started becoming jealous of him. Amidst all this Chotu become friends with Kumar Sahab, the prince of the haveli. Chotu also aspires to become like President Kalam and thus starts the heartwarming journey of education and friendship. Even he calls himself Kalam and copied Dr Kalam's hairstyle.

Already the film has received national and international awards and acclaims before hitting the silver screen. Indeed the film rightly deserves the accolades it is receiving. Debutant director Nila Madhab Panda knows his craft and with co-writer Sanjay Chauhan they created magic on screen. The character of Chotu aka Kalam is written with utmost sensibilities. The way his intelligence is gradually depicted is noteworthy. It is not only a tale about education but also about friendship and changing mindset. The director first created an invisible mirror to showcase some stark contradiction in the society by the way he depicted the scenes of Chotu and Kumar Sahab. Chotu trying to read under the street lights while Kumar Sahab is at his luxurious best. The contradiction is depicted and it ends there only. The rest is a heart warming tale of two young bright boys who are mutually exchanging education in their own ways. While Chotu is teaching Kumar Sahab Hindi the same is happening other way round and thus build a strong bond of trust. The writers carefully tried to capture the changing mindset of young generation and the stagnating mindset of the older one as the king plays chess leisurely and talks about "time" flowing by. While on one hand the king believes in kismet (destiny) the Kumar (prince) rightly retaliates by pointing that "karma" (deed) is bigger and thereby showing the liberal new generation. The way Kumar goes against his father's orders by becoming friends with a low caste guy it shows the strength of his character. And similarly for Chotu who didn't befriend Kumar as he saves him in the pre-climax. Without telling the climax the directors successfully portrayed the need for changing mindset which will change the future generation. Harsh Mayar as Chotu or Kalam is a spontaneous performer and was given a deserving national award for his realistic performance. He is one of the best child actors in the business. His performance was so earnest that every audience in the theater stood for a standing ovation as the end credit roles. Gulshan Grover sheds his bad man image and molded himself with ease as he plays the kind hearted Bhatti. French actress Beatrice Ordeix did a splendid job as Lucy, the benevolent tourist who feels for Chotu. Pitobash (after his marvelous performance in Shor in the City) excels in the role of Laptan.The jealousy within him was reflected in each expression of his. Hussan Saad is also talented and quiet confidently plays the role of Kumar Ranvijay. The supporting castes with less known faces gave commendable performances. Technically speaking the landscape of Rajasthan is captured with picturesque perfection by Mohan Krishna whose debut in Ishqiya was also worth mentioning. Prashant Naik craftsmanship as editor needs mention for his flawless juxtaposition of frames. Music composer Abhishek Ray did his job well whose music had the local flavor in it. There is a sequence where different person starts playing different instruments with a mellifluous amalgamation of music of both east and west. On the whole I Am Kalam is a fine piece of art which has its heart and soul in the right place. SMILE foundation needs to be applauded for producing this film and taking the issue to an elevated level. With changing mindset of people one hopes more will contribute to child education thus witnessing a far more developed India in coming years. Hope movies like I am Kalam will change the mindset of those audiences who are watching it and they would eagerly take the cause forward. Cheers to whole team of I Am Kalam.

Now here we have a film which helps to maintain faith in Bollywood. Clearly the strongest part of the film is its script. After completing it I was wondering whether it was meant for a short film and then converted in to a feature film. It employed a lot of elements in between which made me think so, but they were so nicely placed that I did not even for a moment think of their significance while viewing. The story seemed to flow very smoothly all the time.

However I did notice some plot holes but they don't matter much when we are given films like cocktail in present day bollywood. Apart from the screenplay what made the film great to watch was the acting of KALAM alias chhotu. His acting always looked real, mature and at par with other actors. The film explores sentiments in a new direction with a very soothing atmosphere all the time. The ending is incredible and couldn't have been better. Clearly the director wants to take Indian cinema to greater heights and it can be achieved by making strong screenplays or at least by films based on a subject matter other than Love and Romance. Looking forward for more films like this.

MESSAGE: "Believe in working rather than destiny."

VERDICT: "A must watch for all the Indian Viewers at least."

This is one of the best movies I have seen so far. So simple, yet so touching.

It inspired me to think of our people, of our great country and our incredible culture (as depicted in the Rajasthani styles). Need me to say that the Rajasthani setting was just apt and everything was sown in very creatively.

I hope this movie sets the trend for many more such movies. It is worth every penny and every second of yours.

It brings me to think of the state of millions of children out there who have so much of aspirations but not the means.

I wish the government officials (all of them) see this movie and get inspired by it.

Tonight, I attended a screening of I AM KALAM, starring Gulshan Grover, along with a superb cast. It is a charming story that speaks to the truth that one's life is guided much more by one's actions than by a predetermined destiny...The main setting, at a roadside snack stand near Delhi is, at once, mundane and exotic, as the workers and foreign visitors interact on a daily basis. And, glimpses inside the private quarters of a royal family are nothing less than eye candy for viewers.

The meat of the story derives from the delightful performances of Mr. Grover and the charming young actor who plays Kalam with fearless truthfulness. Even Laxmi, the camel, draws us in with her gentle ways.

As of this writing, the film lacks a US distribution company...some smart executive should pick it up and get it to American audiences!