Delightful entertainer

The National Award-winning film I Am Kalam comes across without sloganeering or sentimental melodrama and is sure to motivate millions of children across India, writes Shoma A. Chatterji


Harsh Mayar, who plays the role of Chhotu, a slum kid, won
the National Award for Best Actor for his performance

Chhotu is a 10-year-old fatherless boy. But his brain is razor sharp and he has incredible grasping power. He has never gone to school but has learnt to read and write all by himself. When his widowed mother, with a baby tucked in her arm, brings him to work in a dhaba in Bikaner, he picks up the skills of the trade quickly. He acquires a secret friend — Prince Ranvijay, son of Rajasa, the local landlord. Ranvijay is forced to live in social isolation and loneliness because his high birth does not allow him to have friends from anyone lower than his family. Haddi or Laptan, the servant, who works in the dhaba and wants to become Amitabh Bachchan, does not like Chhotu one bit because the master, Bhati Mama, develops a liking for the boy. One day, Chhotu listens to the then-President of India, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on the small television set inside the dhaba as he addresses children. Chhotu’s life changes forever. He re-christens himself ‘Kalam’ and dreams of meeting the former President one day.

This is the story of I Am Kalam, a delightful entertainment package that will motivate millions of children across India. For the first time an NGO, Smile Foundation has produced a full-length feature film for the commercial market. Help came in from Century Ply and Surya World. The idea is to spread the message that education is the right of every child. The message comes across without sloganeering, or tear-jerking, sentimental melodrama.

The film takes off from A.P.J. Kalam’s inspiring line "Great dreams of great dreamer are always transcendent" and elaborates with the story of Chhotu, intercutting it with the popular The Prince and the Pauper fable to show how a boy from the slums can make it while a prince can be a sad and lonely child, even within affluence.

"We were happy that we could approach the theme with a parallel sub-text. Despite our liberation from British colonial rule, we live in a society where class, caste and strata divisions are rampantly exploited specially in the case of children. We chose Rajasthan as the backdrop because here distinctions of caste and class are blatantly practiced and accepted. Rajasa and his family members are addressed with the prefix ‘Hukum’ and children like Chhotu are kept away from school to work for their daily bread," says director Nila Madhab Panda.

Rajasthan was chosen because of the bright colours that would set off the darkness of the story and would add market value to the film.

Chhotu is portrayed by Harsh Mayar, a slum kid from Delhi. He was rejected by the makers of Chillar Party because they felt him a misfit in the urban, modern film.

"I was very disappointed. I came back to Delhi, not knowing something more exciting was waiting. I was chosen to play Chhotu. I did my best with the help of my director and the rest of the team. I am thrilled because this assignment gave me the opportunity of a lifetime to meet A.P.J. Kalam himself in person and I complimented him on his hairstyle," says Harsh.

Harsh has won the National Award for Best Actor for his performance in the film. "What touched me about Chhotu is that he takes inspiration from the story that Kalam himself distributed newspapers as a boy to pay for his education," he sums up.

The quality that endears the film to all classes of audience is its optimistic spirit. Chhotu is ever-smiling, cheerful and hopeful of charting a bright future for himself, portrayed wonderfully by Harsh. It is neither dark nor depressing though the characters go through their personal phases of sadness and frustration.

I Am Kalam, which is set for an all-India release on August 5, is now a movement, and not just a film. People involved with the film — producers and Smile Foundation are planning to reach out to 1000 schools and 200 corporate firms that will ultimately reach 10,00,000 children directly and sensitise approximately 30,00,000 population indirectly. This campaign will be supported by CFC (Child-for-Child) Programme team of 50 members. It is scheduled to kick off from September 8 in celebration of World Literacy Day. The film has won 12 national and international awards.

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