BANGALORE: It is widely said and believed that nearly half of the world’s underage labourers are in India, at nearly 135 million.
What makes it even worse is that they don’t even have a voice. They haven’t even had the chance to experience the innocence of childhood. And more than anything else, they would want to know what that really means.
John Devaraj, founder of Bornfree Art School, believes that as an artiste, his ultimate goal is to return to his childhood as days go by, and revisit the days of innocence and naivete.
That is where his goals merge with the kids living and earning off the streets, he believes.
Growing up with 11 siblings in a Christian family which believed in the philosophy of sharing and caring, and the Chaplin screenings at their local cinema club, brought a deep sense of concern in him about how the other half lived and a zeal to change the way things worked.
Years later, he formed the Bornfree Art School, which rescued child labourers and taught them to spread the message and rediscover their childhood, instead of just disciplining them and providing for them.
For the last two years, John put together his cast and worked with the latest technology for a film, which would take off where the legendary Charlie Chaplin left off, which he has edited now as a trilogy to be screened on Saturday. The character Che Che (the name inspired by Che Guevara), essayed by John himself, uses mime, music and the usage of humour to drive home issues which need to be brought to notice.
The cast of the film is almost entirely made up of kids who w e r e rescued from the streets by Bornfree Art School, and consequently treaded a path of self-discovery and expression while they explored their acting talents with the help of their friend and mentor, John. And however it may have turned out as a cinematic venture, the children already consider Che Che to be a success because of the wonderful impact it has had on their lives and the passion it has inculcated in all of them to change the lives of other children like them.
Sanjana Juanita Devaraj had a temper so vile that it worried her more than others. She would flare up at the smallest of things, but she says the experience of acting in the film, has calmed her down immensely. She is now a practised ballet dancer and also teaches children at construction sites.
An adorable 11-year-old Gaja from Bihar was sold for Rs 500 to come and stitch bags in Bangalore, and while acting in the film, has discovered his love for gymnastics and wants to take it to a higher level in the future, besides of course returning home to find his parents.
There are scores of such inspiring stories of children, like Subramani and Antony whose lives have changed during the course of the film and their stint at Bornfree.
‘The Bonda Boy’, a 28-minutelong film, is all about the children who slog at small eateries and make up a sizeable segment of child labourers. Che Che works at a typical restaurant, which has mostly children working in the kitchen, and a disgruntled owner at the helm.
Similarly ‘Mane Bootha’ focuses on the plight of domestic helps at rich households, and ‘Ragged Dancers’ looks at the rag-picking population. The attempt to recreate Chaplin’s magic from the early 1900s, in today’s context is obvious, with the jerky movements and slapstick comedy prevalent in every frame.
The trilogy will be screened at Bala Bhavan, Cubbon Park on July 11 at 11 am. To know more about the film and the movement go to www.bornfreeart.org, or call 9886306366/9886011830.