'Haaro Hakki' depicts problems faced by schoolchildren

A  movie carrying a social message has been made by city-based Brain Center and Educational Research Center, in association with Blossom School, to draw the attention of children, parents and schools to common psychological problems faced by schoolchildren. 

The Kannada film titled ‘Haaro Hakki’ (flying bird) is based on true events. The highlight of the movie is that all characters are played by students of Blossom School in Bagalkunte near Hesaraghatta, their parents and teachers.

The movie’s plot revolves around the journey of a runaway child, how he gets caught by the wrong people and the consequences of his association with them. The film has been conceived and directed by Shashi Kumar D, director of Brain Centre. 

He told Deccan Herald: “At Blossom School, there have been instances in the past wherein a few children had run away. Through the film, I wanted to convey a message to such children, parents and teachers as well. More than 40 parents have acted in the movie including a parent whose child has run away. There are four main characters in the movie, all played by kids.”

He added that children aged nine years and above sometimes have the tendency of running away from home due to various issues. The film has been shot entirely in the city. The idea was conceptualised by Kumar four years ago. The one-hour-and-45 minutes long movie had a quiet release when the entire city was ecstatic over superstar Rajinikanth’s Kabali. 

Kumar, who is also the state general secretary of Associated Management of English Medium Schools in Karnataka, said that the movie was released in the city on July 22 (Thursday) at seven theatres and would soon be screened in 100 government schools across the state.

“Many non-governmental organisations and like-minded associations have come forward to screen the movie in schools. The movie was ready more than a year ago, but the release got delayed due to financial and technical issues,” added Kumar.

Established in 1995, the Brain Center and Educational Research Center conducts research, diagnosis and conducts awareness programmes on dyslexia, autism and slow learning.