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[Introduction]
The unheralded and unfulfilled world of childrenโs films in India.
[Body]
For a country rich in both granniesโ tales and celluloid ventures, it is a surprise
that India has never had a consistent record when it comes to films for children.
Mainstream cinema stretched itself in simultaneously appealing to every taste
bud, with the result that niche markets, like those for children, were never on the
agenda of most production houses. Unlike Iranian cinema, whose social
constraints sparked a creative revolution in childrenโs films, Indian cinema was
free to flourish commercially. The result was that most childrenโs films became
relegated to the sidelines or were dependent on state patronage.
Of course, there is no clear definition of what a childrenโs film is or should be.
Several films that had at least one child actor in a central role (backed by a pet
animal or two) instantly became labeled as a childrenโs film. Sometimes, this was
the death knell of many an aspirant to box office success. Some films like Mr.
India did manage to balance ensemble casts of children with conventional stars
en route to commercial megabucks, while โChota Chetanโ piggy-backed on its
novelty of being Indiaโs first 3D film.
However, thanks in part to some visionary directors and the Childrenโs Film
Society of India (a government agency), Indian filmmaking centered around kids
have produced a few memorable films that would make it to any must-watch lists
of Indian cinema.
The years immediately after independence tended to glorify children as paragons
of virtue. One such example was โJagritiโ (1954), an Indian Tom Brownโs
Schooldays, with paeans to the Independence movement in that particular quirk
of Indian playback singing: adult singers singing in falsettos for child actors.
โBoot Polishโ, released in the same year, was set on the streets of Bombay, and
was notable for being backed by Raj Kapoor, by then a film industry baron.
By the 70s, children in commercial Hindi films were either playing hapless
siblings or younger versions of lead stars who would end up running into
adulthood by reel two. By then, the Childrenโs Film Society of India (established
in 1955 by Jawaharlal Nehru) had taken on the responsibility of producing films
for younger audiences. However, a lack of interest in marketing these films to a
wider audience restricted them to film festivals or later, television.
In contrast, Satyajit Ray had begun making films that would nominally be aimed
at children, but were made with the same care and sophistication that suffused
any of his other masterpieces. In particular, Rayโs fantasy comedy โGoopy Gyne
Bagha Byneโ and his Feluda story โSonar Kellaโ are outstanding examples from
his filmography.
2. In recent times, two filmmakers have carried forward a similar interest for
subjects that put children firmly in the limelight. Santosh Sivan, a master of fluid
cinematography, made his feature debut as director with โHaloโ (1996). The film
is a milestone of filmmaking for kids, with a zany mix of angles and characters
wrapped around a simple tale of a child who finds a lost dog. Like all good
childrenโs movies, it never patronised its young characters. Sivanโs โMalliโ and
โTahaanโ would further underline his keen interest in stories involving young
minds.
The other filmmaker walks in the unusual footsteps of Ray as director-composer.
Vishal Bhardwaj has earned praise for his taut dramas and Shakespearean
adaptations, but like Sivan, he chose to debut with โMakdeeโ (2002). An
engaging tale that deals with superstition and mischief, the film served as a test
bed for Bhardwajโs directorial aspirations. In comparison, his โThe Blue
Umbrellaโ (2007) was an assured piece of cinema which was not afraid to delve
into darker themes of egotism and ostracism. Based on a Ruskin Bond story, it
begs the question as to why other filmmakers havenโt similarly tapped into the
rich vein of Indian childrenโs literature.
Despite its cinematic qualities and critical success, โThe Blue Umbrellaโ received
very little mainstream attention, a fate shared by many of its predecessors. For
one, it lacked a market-friendly star, which was something the Aamir Khan-
powered โTaare Zameen Parโ (2007) had in abundance.
This was a film conceived and partly executed by Amole Gupte and is arguably
the most successful Indian film to fully focus around a child protagonist. It
highlighted the somewhat obscure subject of dyslexia while making pertinent
observations on the nature of parental expectations.
The subject of disaffected children would be explored to good effect in films like
Gulzarโs โKitaabโ (1977) and the Marathi โDahavi Fโ (2002) . Shyam Benegalโs
โMammoโ took a fresh look at post-Partition relationships in a warmly written
film about an orphaned boy discovering life and films via his aunt.
Animation is considered prime kiddie material but India is nowhere close to
state-of-the-art cinema in this respect. Indian filmmakers havenโt even replicated
the success of the likes of the Amar Chitra Katha books in popularity. But in
recent times, a potentially viable genre of stories around mythological characters
like Hanuman and Ganesha has emerged. These efforts still lack the finesse or
creativity in story-telling that sets a Pixar apart.
Childrenโs films in India have shown an annoying Peter Pan-like tendency to
never really come of age despite possessing all the necessary cultural and
technical ingredients. In part, the inconsistency of audiences in accepting
children-centric films has hurt the genre. Mani Ratnamโs intimate โKannathil
3. Muthamittalโ (2002) was arguably a much better effort than his โAnjaliโ (1990),
but suffered a contrasting financial fate.
However, the multiplex boom of the last decade has seen a change in business
models which has allowed smaller movies to compete commercially. Carefully
marketed childrenโs films could now have a better chance. The Harry Potter
franchise and the Pixar creations have set international benchmarks that would
still be beyond most Indian productions. Therefore, the key would lie in the
quality of the tales and story-telling, rather than in graphic rendering or animal
tricks. The inclination of successful filmmakers like Santosh Sivan or Vishal
Bhardwaj to keep returning to the genre should inspire others, especially younger
directors, to explore this space. Indian short filmmakers have already exhibited
both boldness and success with the genre in recent times. Indiaโs equivalent of
โChildren of Heavenโ may well be nearby โ perhaps someone just needs to look
up.
Text:
J. Ramanand (ramanand@gmail.com, 97642 58560)