Release date : 5th August 2011
Starring Harsh Mayar, Gulshan Grover, Pitobash, Beatrice Ordeix
Directed by Nila Madhab Panda
Produced by Santanu Mishra
Screenplay by Sanjay Chauhan
Story by Sanjay Chauhan
Music by Abhishek Ray, Madhuparna, Papon, Susmit Bose, Shivji Dholi
Cinematography Mohana Krishna
Editing by Prashant Naik
Distributed by Smile Foundation
I am Kalam is a movie coming from strange quarters. Made by The Smile Foundation and Century Ply, this is a quaint story of a young boy, who learns much more about the harshness of life than what would be enough for his age. Here is a complete review of the movie I am Kalam.
I am Kalam is about Chotu, a young boy who is sent to work at a roadside Inn in arid Udaipur, owned by Bhati and worked by Laptan, to make some money for him and his family. The Inn is just next to a royal palace, which has now been converted into a hotel for foreign tourists. While Chotu learns about the hardships that a poor boy experiences, the innkeeper has an innocent one sided romance with a foreigner, and another help in the Inn feels that he will lose his place if Chotu stays on for a longer time. Laptan does not like Chotu a bit, and makes it clear to him the moment he comes into the Inn, but Chotu wins Bhati’s heart.
In this harried, unfair life, he comes across a young boy living in the palace, but is not allowed to meet others because his father still thinks that blue blood should not mingle with the commoners. In between all this, Chotu sees a Republic Day Parade, and sees the then President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam at the Red Fort during the Parade. Buoyed by the President’s words, the young boy decides to lead the life that APJ wants every child in this country to.
Things take a turn when Lucy, the foreigner wants to take Chotu to the city and admit him in a school. However, the mother and the Inn Keeper cannot think of such an occurrence, firstly because they are worried about what the woman wants to do with the boy, and secondly because he is useful to both of them.
Chotu also strikes a friendship with the lonely blue blood child in the palace, and this does not go well with the other people in the palace, and he finally is accused of stealing from the young boy, because nobody knew that they had struck a friendship.
I am Kalam has a good screenplay, and there is not a dull moment in the film, thanks for the numerous side stories that keep cropping up, and the genuinely funny moments at the Inn. The director has taken pains to depict the arid, dry desert at it is, and the earthy tones that he has used are a treat to watch. Even though I am Kalam tackles serious subjects like child labor, racism, cultural thuggery, it does not get preachy for even a moment. The direction also succeeds in skimming across the stark realities in such a way that they are blatantly displayed – like the fact that Chotu’s family will starve to death if he does not work – so much for the ‘No Child Labor’ stickers all over Mumbai.
The performances of I am Kalam are refreshing. Right from Gulshan Grover and Pitobash to the two debutante actors playing the main protagonists, everyone excels in their role and brings a naïve, innocent freshness to the movie. But while the main characters act well, the screenplay and the storyline does not give time enough for any one of the characters to be described deeply. For example, we never know where Chotu’s father is, or for that matter the sudden change in the King’s mindset seems a bit farfetched.
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