Wish we were all like CHHOTU!. Review on I Am Kalam

A small-budget film with rich production values coupled with not-so-famous star cast and off-the-beaten track storyline gives me a solid high! After all, its such films that might not boast of a high budget or big stars but still deliver a brilliant and at times thought-provoking product. There are countless such films and I’m sure as you are reading this, few such films have already crossed your mind! Now it’s time to add I Am Kalam to this list! Based on child labour and denial of education to the underprivileged, I Am Kalam at places doesn’t boast of good execution, editing and camerawork. The rest of the film however is a brilliant fare that keeps you hooked and draws you into the world of Chhotu and his dreams!

The story of the movie: Chhotu (Harsh Mayar) is sent by his mother (Namrata Dixit) to Bhati (Gulshan Grover) to work in his roadside dhaba somewhere near the deserts of Rajasthan. Being very sharp, intelligent and of a joyous temperament, Chhotu soon learns all the culinary skills and also keeps the patrons at the dhaba happy and entertained, most of whom were foreign tourists. But being extremely poor, he is not able to go to school even though he loves to read and write. Yet, that doesn’t upset him and he dreams of making it big one day. Inspired by Dr Abdul Kalam’s speech, he changes his name to Kalam! At the same time, he befriends Kunwar Sa Rannvijay (Husaan Saad), a local prince of his same age, even though Rannvijay’s father has strictly told him to interact only with those who have ‘royal blood’ in them. How Kalam faces conflict and how he triumphs in the finale forms the rest of the plot.

After acknowledgements and ‘special thanks’ to at least 3 dozen people and organizations (yes you read it right!), I Am Kalam commences with a breathtaking shot of the desert and a camel cart moving at a brisk pace. The soothing scene has an immediate effect and sets the mood for the film instantly! The performances and characters take the film to another level altogether. Bhati is a happy-go-lucky person with his head and feet firmly on the ground, especially after he falls flat for dreaming too much. Laptan (Pitobash), like millions of small town inhabitants, dream of being the next super star of Bollywood and idolizes Amitabh Bachchan. Rannvijay represents thousands of rich people’s offsprings who are forced to make friends of their own status only! And finally, Chhotu has lots of reasons to be frustrated. He’s born in an extremely poor family. He wants to study but he can’t. And he has no chance but to secretly meet his own friend. Yet, he has no regrets and always has a smile on his face and joy in his heart. Wish we all were like Chhotu! In other words, the characters in the film are either relatable or the ones that are sure to bring a smile on our faces!

I Am Kalam is just 90 minutes long and maintains a balanced pace…the narrative rushes neither too fast nor drags. We often pass through lots of roadside dhabas and occasionally stop at one of them. I Am Kalam throws light on these outlets and the people behind them. The film boasts of sweet and simple fun and cute scenes, especially the ones involving Chhotu-Rannvijay, Bhati-Lucie (Beatrice Ordeix) and Chhotu-Lucie! The problems that arise in Chhotu’s life was well treated. Even though the Delhi sequence seemed a bit unrealistic, the film appears convincing. Even the Abdul Kalam track didn’t get into unreal zone.

Every actor has given his best. Harsh Mayar is no doubt a star, off screen and also on screen! His face has the innocence and also the rustic looks due to which he gets his Chhotu-Kalam act perfect! Hope to see him in good film with good roles and also hope he doesn’t flop away like other kid stars! Husaan Saad too gives an equally wonderful performance. In this case, its his cute voice that does the trick! Beatrice Ordeix was extremely lovable and seeing her act, you can’t help but realize that this world is not as bad as we think! Pitobash, who excelled as Mandook in Shor In The City, comes up with yet another powerhouse performance. Due to his height, mannerisms and antiques, he reminds one of Rajpal Yadav! Namrata Dixit and the actors playing Rannvijay’s father, hotel manager and Rannvijay’s attendant also pitch in a fine performance.

And lastly, the one performer that steals the show is none other than Gulshan Grover! This was easily his cutest performance ever! Donning traditional attire, mouthing broken English, attending foreign visitors and going head over heels for Lucie, Gulshan Grover super impresses! Also impressive is the manner in which he so clearly understood his character. Watch out for the scene where he is negotiating with a tourist a day after he got the shock of his life. One can easily notice that the enthusiasm in him has died, albeit temporarily, but still the urge of keeping his customers satisfied can be seen all over him! And only experienced actors like GG can get this right! Kudos to him for backing a small-budget project like I Am Kalam…hats off!

Music (Sushmit Bose, Abhishek Ray) doesn’t have any scope in the film. However, Deepak Pandit’s traditional Rajasthani background score is melodious and gives the film a nice touch. Mohana Krishna’s cinematography beautifully captured most of the film. However, in few scenes, the long shots didn’t work. For instance, one would have loved to see Chhotu’s sad and crying expressions after he was slapped and when he wanders in the desert early in the morning. A long shot in this sequence, I feel, was just not done! Prashant Naik’s editing was slick but overdone at few places

Sanjay Chauhan’s screenplay was watertight while his dialogues were straight out of real life. Nila Madhab Panda’s direction was kind of a mixed bag. At places, one could easily make out that the film was a product of a first timer. But in the rest of the places, the film’s direction was terrific. The characters were well sketched, given good prominence and as said before, the film doesn’t get over-dramatic or over the top even for a second. Even the climax, which could have turned nonsense and illogical, was deftly handled and hence created an impact.

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