A Billion Colour Story

If it weren't for Netflix, I wouldn't have been able to watch such a beautiful movie. What is disappointing is that no one talked about it in the year it was released nor afterwards until I chance upon it today. The message is very clear and the story, so relatable. I want to watch more from the N Padmakumar.

Written directed and shot by one single man turned out this greate I only imagine what a whole crew and high budget could have done , that said it's one of the most beautiful, emotional, good drama heavy film circling the ideas of religion and communism

A Billion Colour Story is a rare Indian cinema that is progressive and asks the right set of uncomfortable questions. The movie is a take on the difficulties faced by a family who have "Progressed", in a country which is still confused with its caste system, religious intolerance and small thinking even 20 years after the second millennium. A Billion Colour Story is a gentle reminder on how like minded and progressive people fare within our society.

A Billion Colour Story is beautiful shot in black and white throughout, cinematography is just spectacular, with camera placement and angles wonderfully different in comparison to mainstream movies. The screenplay & direction is the main strength of this movie that fires some very uncomfortable questions to the common man living in India. The screenplay is very well crafted and put together, provocative and subtle at the same time, depicting the uneasiness of the characters wonderfully well. Production design, music, costumes and makeup are all very decent. Casting is a major plus to this movie. Considering the budget, the actors on the payroll have done a wonderful job, well almost.

Overall, if one lives in India and consider themselves "Progressive" A Billion Colour Story is just for you, as one can easily relate to it and compare the difficulties faced by us in general, moreover the movie will be nostalgic on many counts for progressive people living in India. The movie may not suit people who are religiously sensitive. But for any like minded people A Billion Colour Story is a must watch, just to re-examine the society that we live in today. Full credit to director and producer Sathish Kaushik to give life to this wonderful movie. 7.8 stars out of 10 for a beautiful screenplay and some spectacular cinematography.

A Billion Colour Story was primarily shot in black and white, making up about 90% of the film. I'm still pondering whether director Padmakumar Narasimhamurthy made the right call with that choice. I bet the cast, including Dhruva Padmakumar, Gaurav Sharma, Vasuki, and Rashmi Somvanshi, are wondering the same thing.

The film is thoughtfully crafted, tackling themes of tolerance in a world that's increasingly divided by violence, racism, and distrust. There are moments of darkness that highlight a growing sense of hopelessness, suggesting that humanity is often at odds with itself, and many are in conflict. One of the key characters argues for the need to believe that not everything is lost, emphasizing that the inherent goodness in people still exists. The kid learns that we need more love stories instead of revenge tales, and more real-life heroes rather than just superheroes. Unfortunately, the ending seems to suggest that this film aims to remind us of the importance of believing in one another, rather than waiting for a mythical savior who may never come-something that could be seen as blasphemous by various religious groups.

The black-and-white cinematography is striking, and the performances from the cast are solid, but the dialogue often feels overly preachy and hard to take seriously.

How a white Englishman ended up at the 3rd annual Dallas Fort Worth South Asian Film Festival is a tale of its own, but as I settled in to my seat at the Perot Museum, Dallas TX to watch Billion Colour Story, I was not properly prepared for the emotional journey ahead. Black & white and subtitled films usually disappoint my simple tastes, but this was a very human tale with highly believable characters, and a solid plot you can relate to.

The pacing is good, the acting superb and the music and score were well balanced. If I had a criticism it was that the dubbing, subtitling and audio soundstage was at times not very polished - but this is an indie film on a tight budget, so lets not be too harsh. In any case, it did not really distract from the otherwise excellent film.

The beautiful Hindu mother Parv, and her optimistic Muslim husband Imran are both film makers, and they have a dream project which, if they are to complete, they must sell their family home to raise the finance. The film follows their story, and that of their 11 year old son Hari as they experience a variety of racial prejudices and narrow minded bullying along their journey to make their film.

I found myself drawing parallels that many post Brexit Brits and Trumps American's alike can relate to. This modern, liberal minded multicultural family have to face the realisation that the tolerant world they knew is changing, and those backward opinions that have long been suppressed in the shadows on the edge of society have moved into the open, to the detriment of all.

We watch the character of Imran turn from the naive eternal optimist, to a man torn between his faith in humanity and the new reality to which he is exposed.

We also watch his son Hari, who despite his innocence, is wise beyond his years and appears far more attuned to the world around him than his father. As the film closes we are deeply touched by the actions of young Hari, and we see that despite the evils we have seen in the film, there is still hope for humanity in India. We are also left wondering if we, in the real world, are reverting to an intolerant society, then what must we do to stop that change.