Heavyweight offering for children

It is Panda’s second film to be selected for the festival that offers the best of international children’s cinema from across the world.
Nila Madhab Panda
Nila Madhab Panda

National Award-winning filmmaker Nila Madhab Panda has added another feather to his cap with his next, Halkaa starring child actor Tathastu, Ranvir Shorey, and Paoli Dam. The film had its world premiere at the prestigious 21st Festival International du Film Pour Enfants de Montreal Film festival (better known under its French acronym, FIFEM) in the competition category with six international children’s films at Montreal in Canada from March 3-11. It also ended up winning the Grand Prix de Montreal.

It is Panda’s second film to be selected for the festival that offers the best of international children’s cinema from across the world. His much-acclaimed I Am Kalam had won the audience award or Prix Du Public in 2010.

Calling the recent film a sequel to I Am Kalam, Panda says, “It was nostalgic for me to return to FIFEM with Halkaa. My last children’s film in Hindi had won the audience award and that too in French territory, and it was a big statement, but winning the top honour in the competition category is an overwhelming feeling.”

The film, which has been shot in a slum in the Capital, talks about aspirations and dreams of an eight-year-old boy Pichku played by Tathastu, with Ranvir and Paoli playing his parents. It deals with the issue of open defecation, and how a child detests the idea of defecating in the open, and dreams of making a toilet of his own so that he can do it in private.

“It’s not a boring, dark house children’s film but a mix of Slumdog Millionaire and La La Land. This is a new trend in children’s cinema space in India. I have tried to express words such as fantasy, dreams, aspiration in a child’s term. I didn’t glamorise poverty but used it to show the identity and power of ordinary people,” says Panda, whose last big release Kadvi Hawa spoke of the disastrous impact of climate change.

Ruing the lack of proper content for children, the filmmaker calls for positive action from all the stakeholders, and says, “We have one of the largest young population, but we hardly have enough children’s cinema, which is an irony. We don’t produce enough content, leave alone quality, for children.” The film has already been invited to six other film fests across the world.

A family entertainer with music from Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, the film is gearing for release in India in a couple of months.

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The New Indian Express
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