I Am Kalam

I just attended the screening of the movie and I must confess that I was overwhelmed with emotions.

Debutant director, Nila Madhab Panda has woven a beautiful story with some heart touching moments which will bring a tear to your eyes. There are superb performances by veteran Indian actor Gulshan Grover, both the child protagonist (the child playing Kalam even won a National award for the role) along with Pitobash,and French theatre actress Beatric Ordeix as Lucy.

The story is about friendship, love, truthfulness self belief and dreams.

Shot in the beautiful and colorful Rajasthan, the movie realistically portrays the relationship between various communities and touches upon topics like child labor, caste, class and the value of education and friendship.

When the director introduced the movie before the screening, he said that the movie was made with very little budget but with a lot of passion, I must say that the passion was evident in each shot. the topic is so sensitive that it could have gone easily into the clichés, thankfully the director remained true to his believes and the final product is one of the masterpieces which have taken the Indian Cinema into a very different and exciting platform.

I would suggest that this movie should not be missed by anyone, especially by children.

Go and watch the movie, you won't regret 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!

After seeing the movie it simply reminds us of awe-inspiring book "Ignited Minds".

It also reminds me of the famous quote "Fortune favor's the brave" and think that "brave and witty" should be added in it, as the movie clearly depicts that the imagination of a child cannot be kept under wraps by the mere present circumstances he is facing!!!

The direction of the movie and cast is brilliant, their is a real-life touch to the little love-story added. I think that the movie should be screened all over India and not only in tier-1,2,3 cities, as it is the rural population which could be maximum beneficiary. The foundations like "SMILE"," Against Child Labour " should be supported. The government should take initiative and support the film by promoting it in one of their child welfare programs.

The movie is simply awesome.

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.

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.