I Am Kalam
2010 · Directed by Nila Madhab Panda
Original language: Hindi
- comedy
- drama
- family
The story
The film celebrates the survival of the human spirit against overwhelming odds and highlights the need for underprivileged children's education. Its a film based on former indian president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and is aimed at inspiring the poor to educate their children. Written by DaGambit Chhotu's peasant village is ruined by drought, so his ma drops the boy with uncle Bhati, who runs a tea stand at the city outskirts. Clever Chottu, who calls himself Kalam after the self-made Indian president, soon outsmarts uncle's adult assistant and makes friends with the loneliest boy in the palace, now a hotel, a prince his age.
What it’s like
Warm, sun-saturated colour carries this one: dusty village browns giving way to bright, chalky city streets and the gilded, ornamental interiors of a faded palace turned hotel. The camera stays fairly open and easy, favouring plain wide shots and simple two-shots of the boys, and the score leans on buoyant, melodic Indian pop and folk textures. The mood is hopeful, playful and tender, with humour that comes from a clever kid's quick schemes. Its emotional arc follows a lonely boy slowly warming to a friend across a stark class divide, and the pacing is light and episodic, easy to drift into. Hardship is present through drought and poverty, but it is handled gently: there is no graphic violence, little menace, and the darkness stays at the level of hunger and separation. It suits a family afternoon, a comfort watch on a lazy weekend, or anyone wanting an uplifting, low-stakes film about determination and education for families and younger viewers.
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