Nil Battey Sannata

Everyone has dreams which basically creates a purpose in life in order to achieve your dream. You need to believe in your dreams, cherish and protect them and make sure nobody takes it away from you. "Nil Battey Sannata", meaning 'knowing nothing', talks about dream a mother has for her child. The riveting drama was felicitated at Silk Road International Film Festival which is an equivalent to Oscar awards in China where Swara Bhaskar won the Best Actress Award. So, is "Nil Battey Sannata" worth your time and money ? Well, let us find out..

"Nil Battey Sannata" is a coming-of-age drama of Apu (Ria Shukla) who finally grows up to become a IPS officer after her mother Chanda (Swara Bhaskar) sacrifices and struggles in her journey of motherhood to make sure she lives her dream of giving Apu a bright future.

Directed by debutant Ashwini Iyer Tiwari, "Nil Battey Sannata" is a sparkling film in every context. Right from the beginning of the film, you will be completely engrossed into the beautiful tale of mother and her struggle to keep her dreams alive. Blended with sarcasm and light moments, the film is a powerful drama which will help you sail it through 2 hours without getting bored. Told in a subtle manner, it is the simplicity of narration which is the highlight of the film and you will cherish each and every frame. There are no glossy sets, colorful costumes over-the-tone melodrama yet the film is entertaining and will keep you glued throughout. The screenplay is pivotal defines each and every characters to the core. Couple of scenes do stand out in the first half. The first scene at the school where the students gets punished for violating the rules of the school, the scene where the Pankaj Tripathi is surprised after Ratna Pathaka convinces Swara Bhaskar to join as student and the scene at Collector's house between Swara Bhaskar and guards are hilarious. Hats off to Ashwini Iyer Tiwari for standing out in her first film itself. She definitely has the merits to go long with her impeccable direction.

On the flip side, the climax is predictable and could have made it more appealing but the enduring performances by the star cast will leave you satisfied in the end. Music, generally used in background, is tuneful and gels well with the mood of the film. Cinematography is spellbinding capturing the essence of Agra in its beautiful frame. Art direction is brilliant. Dialogues are punching.

Performance wise, Swara Bhaskar steals the thunder with her electrifying performance. The "Tanu Weds Manu" actor is just growing better with each film. Surprisingly, this is her first film as a lead and she has displayed matured acting. Watch for her. She definitely has long way to go. Pankaj Tripathi and Ratna Pathak are brilliant as usual. Ria Shukla does well in her role.

Overall, "Nil Battey Sannata" is a feel-good cinema with a strong and captivating message. Do yourself a favor – Watch "Nil Battey Sannata" to get inspired and motivated. Excellent 4/5

– Ketan Gupta

Nil Battey Sannata which means good for nothing and thats how the movie describes about one of main characters Apeksha played wonderfully by debutant Riya Shukla.

Apeksha which means expectation but unfortunately the girl has no dreams or expectations with life. Her belief is that her mother Chanda is a servant and she will also become a servant like her mother as her mother has no money to educate her for higher studies. And when she ends up getting poor grades in maths, Chanda joins her class as a student and challenge her to study.

What i really loved about this movie is the director and writer show reality in the film. It not hard hitting but a fact of life. Chanda does multiple jobs to sustain her family. We don't know much about her husband and yet inspite of all troubles, she wants to educate her daughter and make her a doctor or engineer. I liked the scene where she gets noodles to celebrate her daughter's success.

Yet when her daughter is doing badly in Maths, she re-joins school and becomes a competitor to her daughter. When he daughter breaks the bet, she decides to teach her daughter a lesson.

As for her daughter, Apeksha, she is the least bothered kid who just wants to waste time and has no dream and ambition. She is selfish and fails to see her mother's sacrifices.

There is also a nice part in the movie where Chanda accidentally meets the District Collector and stalks him wanting to know how he became one.

Also, the chats between Chanda and one of her employers, a doctor are nicely written.

Swara Bhaskar dons the role of Chanda with ease and confidence. Even with the age against here..she is pulls of a brilliant performance. Its high time that the Chopras and Johars give her a chance in big commercial projects.

New comer Riya is another star in the making and we should watch out for her.

Ratna Pathak Shah who plays the doctor and Vishal Nath who plays Chanda and Apeksha's geeky classmate do commendable jobs.

And finally there is Pankaj Tripathi who plays the school principal. He is one hell of an actor who makes the character look serious and well as funny. He doesn't make it a caricature. The one scene he stands out is in the beginning of the film where the new academic year has started and the assembly is going on.

The movie teaches a few lessons about life and yet it never becomes preachy or emotional. And thats its strength. This movie should be watched by parents and children together.

If you want to experience the magic of amazing scriptwriting combined with great acting and direction, this is the ticket to that wonderland. Right from the start, the cinematography gels with the script. Although it slows down for plot development, but then picks up gracefully again. It's a wonderfully crafted journey that steals your eye control and certainly your heart.

Producer Aanand Rai has marvelously mentored the debutant director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari. After his stint of great movies, here comes a masterpiece in his first production venture. Ashwiny has shown great efforts and I'll take nothing away from him. It's hard to see such a masterclass in a debutant. The way amalgamation of script and actors have been done is simply amazing.

Rising from the supporting character roles, Swara Bhaskar grabbed this lead opportunity with open hands. She is very impressive and her body language is perfect all through. Little girl Riya Shukla steals the heart right from the start and continues to do so throughout.

Overall, an amazing script amalgamated with wonderful acting and direction.

The acting was superb, direction and the screenplay was good too. The movie was so realistic unlike most of the school based movies, this was centered in a govt school where most of the India get educated. The movie is an inspiration for people with few resources and high hopes and dreams. It will motivate you to walk that extra mile to achieve your dreams. The movie is also an answer to those who always blame their fortune, financial status and let them come in between them and their dreams. The film also shows the eternal love of a mother towards her child and how she sacrifices her life to provide her child with all the comfort which she herself was deprived from. I loved the setting of this movie. It felt so realistic and beautiful. Plus the characters were so inspiring like the math genius Amar and the District collector. The sad part is these kinda movies don't make much in the box office. The audience prefer crap like prdp, wanted, dabangg. Movies with no moral and no sense at all. I hope makers of this, masaan, manjhi, gangs of wasseyur don't stop making these for they don' make enough in the box office. because someone has to keep making these to keep our faith alive in Bollywood.

A film that released in April 2016 back home. Even though I so wanted to view it, could not get the chance then. But then, as they say all good things come to those who wait. Managed to see it recently. Revolving around a mother-daughter duo, this simple story has taken on itself the job of answering so many questions that we face in our very own lives and seldom challenge ourselves to find the answers to.

Swara-BhaskarThe ever talented #SwaraBhaskar plays a single mother, uneducated and someone who moves earth and skies to make ends meet. A sweet girl called Riya Shukla plays her 10th Class daughter.

For every parent, their child is always the dearest to them. Then why does this very child become an irritant at times, with the passing years? Why do we lose our cool every now and then, with the same child we were swooning about? The film has tried to identify and portray this transition and maybe also provide answers to the viewers.

Personally, I feel there is a very thin line which defines the relation. And on crossing the same its no more a parent and child relationship. It becomes a relationship between two human beings. And along with that comes jealousy, competition, opposition and One-upmanship. Sounds bad right? Dwelve within to discover where you stand. No one comes clean, maybe not even me.

But the answer lies in sticking behind the line, on your side. And its only through your experience and wisdom, can you possibly identify it.

Its a great story of a mother challenging her own self to change her daughter's destiny. A journey of not just change, but also self-discovery. A journey of endless possibilities which are awaiting to be tapped by those who dare and those who try.

Amazing portrayal by all. Swara is a great performer, as always. Supported aptly by Riya, who herself has done a fantastic job. Very natural. And then we have the talented Ratna Pathak Shah and Pankaj Tripathi. The film packages various emotions from your childhood days (best recalled by those who did schooling in 1970s and 1980s). Found shades from my nostalgic past to enliven my thoughts and emotions.

Great job Ahwiny Iyer Tiwari! Loved the movie and will look forward to more gems from your side in the future.

View it. Get the DVD home and see how easily the message transcends across generations. •Rajesh Sharma •@rajrad