I Am Kalam is a film about an underprivileged child who is inspired by India's erstwhile President Dr APJAbdul Kalam and aspires to grow up to be a respectable person like him. While the basic tendency for a film like this would be to show the triumph of the kid's aspirations by the hands of the President himself with a cameo in the climax, I Am Kalam refrains from any such larger-than-life portrayal and remains rooted. However despite having a realistic approach, the film remains optimistic throughout and there is not a moment of despair.
Chotu (Harsh Mayar), a small kid, is left behind by his mother at a roadside dhaba to work as a helper and support his destitute family. While delivering food at the nearby heritage hotel, he befriends a boy of his age, Ranvijay Singh (Husaan Saad) who is a descendant of an erstwhile royal family that now runs the hotel. The keen-observer and quick-learner Chotu is aided by his friend Ranvijay in his quest for education. Further, on learning that President Abdul Kalam too suffered several hardships in his childhood, Chotu rechristens himself as Kalam and aims to be just like him.
Though the protagonist is poverty-struck, the film at no point emphasizes on the inadequacy in his life but is rather focused on his pursuit for knowledge. The cheerful face of Chotu and the upbeat mood of the film never make the narrative distressing. Add to it, his tiff with a coworker (Pitobash Tripathy) makes way for some hilarious moments. The screenplay by Sanjay Chauhan is well-etched and keeps you riveted through its runtime. The writing is multidimensional yet the storytelling by director Nila Madhab Panda is absolutely simple and effective. He blithely establishes the innocent and unadulterated bonding between the two boys that goes beyond the divide of their social status.
While the film sets Abdul Kalam as the role model, at the same time it never delves deep into his life history or goes to give him a documentary-length tribute. Kalam's reference is only used to the extent that it can serve as an apt motivation for Chotu. The film merely mentions how Kalam faced difficulties as a child yet went on to become the most important person in the country. Also, the noble choice of the inspiration sets the film a class apart from other juvenile attempts like Nanhe Jaisalmer which had a similar theme and setting. On a parallel note, the film subtly touches upon the almost redundant command of royalty in democratic reign, faintly reminding of Satyajit Ray's Shatranj Ke Khiladi .
The sidetrack of Gulshan Grover (as the dhaba -owner) being enticed by a French tourist Lucie (( Beatrice Ordeix)) has its light moments and, more importantly, is smartly integrated with Chotu's track. Both have hopes from Lucie - one expects love and other expects education from her, which are terminated with her unexpected exit. The film attempts to endorse the ideology of 'hard work over luck' but with the climax that it opts for, the philosophy seems debatable.
While the film doesn't boast of an independent soundtrack, director Nila Madhab Panda uses music as an effective tool in his storytelling. Especially effective is the scene where musicians from different countries and cultures strike a chord, making way for a perfect harmony at the roadside dhaba . Another gem of a scene is when Chotu vents out his frustration through music in the middle of the night in the dry dark desert.
The climax where one child wins the school competition while other is declared as thief makes for a compelling contrast. The culmination might seem somewhat convenient but the film ends with a ray of hope. While it makes a subtle remark on child labour like the recent release Stanley Ka Dabba , I Am Kalamessentially highlights the importance of child education for a better generation.
Harsh Mayar, as the protagonist, is absolutely comfortable in front of the camera and appears natural in every frame. Whether it's a funny scene or a dramatic moment, he is amazingly confident and every-bit worthy of the National Award. Husaan Saad complements him at every step and radiates an innocent charm. Gulshan Grover gets to play a strong character after a hiatus and puts in a compelling act. Pitobash Tripathy as the Amitabh Bachchan fan has his moments.
With a child protagonist, I Am Kalam gives an important message particularly to the adult audience on how every child has a basic right for education and to live his dream.
Chotu (Harsh Mayar), a small kid, is left behind by his mother at a roadside dhaba to work as a helper and support his destitute family. While delivering food at the nearby heritage hotel, he befriends a boy of his age, Ranvijay Singh (Husaan Saad) who is a descendant of an erstwhile royal family that now runs the hotel. The keen-observer and quick-learner Chotu is aided by his friend Ranvijay in his quest for education. Further, on learning that President Abdul Kalam too suffered several hardships in his childhood, Chotu rechristens himself as Kalam and aims to be just like him.
Though the protagonist is poverty-struck, the film at no point emphasizes on the inadequacy in his life but is rather focused on his pursuit for knowledge. The cheerful face of Chotu and the upbeat mood of the film never make the narrative distressing. Add to it, his tiff with a coworker (Pitobash Tripathy) makes way for some hilarious moments. The screenplay by Sanjay Chauhan is well-etched and keeps you riveted through its runtime. The writing is multidimensional yet the storytelling by director Nila Madhab Panda is absolutely simple and effective. He blithely establishes the innocent and unadulterated bonding between the two boys that goes beyond the divide of their social status.
While the film sets Abdul Kalam as the role model, at the same time it never delves deep into his life history or goes to give him a documentary-length tribute. Kalam's reference is only used to the extent that it can serve as an apt motivation for Chotu. The film merely mentions how Kalam faced difficulties as a child yet went on to become the most important person in the country. Also, the noble choice of the inspiration sets the film a class apart from other juvenile attempts like Nanhe Jaisalmer which had a similar theme and setting. On a parallel note, the film subtly touches upon the almost redundant command of royalty in democratic reign, faintly reminding of Satyajit Ray's Shatranj Ke Khiladi .
The sidetrack of Gulshan Grover (as the dhaba -owner) being enticed by a French tourist Lucie (( Beatrice Ordeix)) has its light moments and, more importantly, is smartly integrated with Chotu's track. Both have hopes from Lucie - one expects love and other expects education from her, which are terminated with her unexpected exit. The film attempts to endorse the ideology of 'hard work over luck' but with the climax that it opts for, the philosophy seems debatable.
While the film doesn't boast of an independent soundtrack, director Nila Madhab Panda uses music as an effective tool in his storytelling. Especially effective is the scene where musicians from different countries and cultures strike a chord, making way for a perfect harmony at the roadside dhaba . Another gem of a scene is when Chotu vents out his frustration through music in the middle of the night in the dry dark desert.
The climax where one child wins the school competition while other is declared as thief makes for a compelling contrast. The culmination might seem somewhat convenient but the film ends with a ray of hope. While it makes a subtle remark on child labour like the recent release Stanley Ka Dabba , I Am Kalamessentially highlights the importance of child education for a better generation.
Harsh Mayar, as the protagonist, is absolutely comfortable in front of the camera and appears natural in every frame. Whether it's a funny scene or a dramatic moment, he is amazingly confident and every-bit worthy of the National Award. Husaan Saad complements him at every step and radiates an innocent charm. Gulshan Grover gets to play a strong character after a hiatus and puts in a compelling act. Pitobash Tripathy as the Amitabh Bachchan fan has his moments.
With a child protagonist, I Am Kalam gives an important message particularly to the adult audience on how every child has a basic right for education and to live his dream.
so I snorkel back and nothing.....no naked chick...no titties....klpd.....but then there was a slight shimmer....the sun shining on something a little deeper....something glimmering.....i thought, naked chick can really hold her breath and is wearing a metallic bikini bottom....I took a big gasp of air and went under.....swimming down closer to the shimmering.....closer to the titties....naked chick seems to swim away and hide behind an underwater boulder....but the funny thing is I didn't see any legs......I shake my head and blame it on the lack of oxygen and rush back to the surface. I gather my thoughts and gulp some air and take the plunge again, except this time naked chick is not behind the boulder, she's in front of it, her titties exposed in all their glory.....but wait...no bikini....the sun was shimmering on scales!f@&k - a real life mermaid! I almost gulped two litres of water and rushed to the surface.
the truth is,the scuba diving allows you to stay underwater for a long time