When young brigade takes charge

Rashi Mathur 

The last feature film of Tom Alter is apparently the reason that would compel the cinephiles to throng the theatre for Hamari Paltan. Protecting environment is not as facile as it seems, is definitely the thought they would disperse the hall with. And with this, the newcomer director, Jainendra Jigyasu, has achieved his purpose of telling a poignant tale with a message that would have otherwise appeared a cliché.

Its release date being a week after Earth Day doesn’t mean it is about raising slogans or holding plantation drives. It explicitly reveals that standing up for a cause that concerns environment can even cause death. People are killed for their dictums. It hits hard when we are exposed to the strata of society, oblivious to environment depletion, using power to the maximum possible extent to get their buildings and dams constructed.

Once again, Alter enthralls the audience, though for the last time, with his role of Master ji, who endeavours to inspire a set of kids with his Gandhian principles. One of these kids, Chetanya, gets a chance to study in a city school, from where the story is woven.

However, the plot gains clarity only after the first half. The initial events appear as jigsaw puzzle pieces. Dialogues are more like a discourse. A video recording which could have changed the course of events is sidelined and appears to be a loophole.  

A distinct feature of the movie is its music. Composing songs for a film that depicts a social cause requires meticulous craft and the composer, Malti, has done justice to it. The music does not sound like a dues ex machina but maintains the organic unity of the film, bringing out the contrast between the rustic and city fervour.

It’s interesting the way cricket unites two extremities and helps the village kid mingle up with the city pupils, as well as learn English in return. However, all this could have been definitely wrapped up in a lesser time frame. 

The title is apt as a brigade of children blows the winds of change. In the pursuit of money if contractors continue to build concrete jungles, how many people will be deprived of their home? Is development at the cost of destruction correct? These questions will trigger hard.