Don’t get us wrong. We are not talking about films produced by the Children’s Film Society of India, which is barely active. Nor are we talking about animation films, which are hardly made and largely, are inferior in quality.
India is a land which is passionate and proud about its cinema but we are yet to make a Love Bug, The AbsentMinded Professor or a Mary Poppins.
What, then, is a film for children? It constitutes a good story, lots of fun, a dollop of emotion, and if possible, a subtle message, ‘subtle’ being the keyword. Another vital point — it should appeal to adults too. It need not be a moral science lesson.
It could identify, in an entertaining way of course, problems that children face with parents, teachers, peers and with themselves. To make it appealing for the audiences, especially when it comes to the Indian film industry, add some top stars and good music. Now that’s a tough order! And which are the films that have met these expectations? Sadly, only a handful of them.
Pure melodrama
Take Brahmchari (1968) for instance, where Shammi Kapoor looked after a roomful of orphans. However, the film focussed more on the protagonist’s romantic life than the children. Although the movie was a major hit, it cannot be categorised as a wholesome children’s entertainer.
Madras (as Chennai was known then) and the late director K P Atma in particular, made it a point to make children-based films in the ‘60s and early ‘70s, but they were, in keeping with their times and trends, full of over-the-top mush and melodrama. Chhota Bhai (1966), Raja Aur Runk (1968), produced by L V Prasad and based on The Prince And The Pauper, and Bachpan (1970), which was adapted from Huckleberry Finn, were all major box office hits, but certainly, not kids’ cinema material.
The south Indian film industry also had directors churning out films like Nanha Farishta (1969), which was about a kidnapped tot reforming three hardcore dakus, and Mastana (1970), which narrated the tale of a rich, neglected child and a poor man, who showers love on the kid. Both were hits but went overboard with their so called ‘moral message’. The only possible exception during this time was AVM’s Do Kaliyan (1968), a melodramatic adaptation of The Parent Trap.
Bollywood too contributed to this list of children’s films with projects like Naunihal (1967) based on Nehru and his fondness for children, Balak (1969), that dealt with Gandhiji’s teachings to kids and a few other films like Raj Kapoor’s memorable Boot Polish (1958) and Satyen Bose’s Jagriti (1954). But again, these films did nothing to contribute to children’s cinema.
The first film that qualified to be a classic in this genre was Haathi Mere Saathi (1971). Cleverly released during summer holidays, 40 years later, it is still considered to be a true entertainer for kids. It grossed over a crore per territory at the box office in India at a time when the most expensive film ticket costed less than five rupees.
Add to that, a chartbusting score and a heartwarming performance by Rajesh Khanna. As co-writer Salim Khan states, “Haathi Mere Saathi had a story, oodles of drama, emotions and fun; all in the right proportions.” The impact of the climax of the film, where the elephant takes a bullet intended for the hero whose marriage he is trying to save, was huge. Reminisces leading yesteryear actress Tanuja, “When my daughter, Kajol, watched the film when she was six years old, she did not speak to me for two weeks. She yelled at me, ‘Mummy! You killed the elephant!.’”
Limited vision
Kajol and Ajay Devgn too co-produced Toonpur Ka Superrhero (2010), India’s first live-action-cum-animation film. Though well-scripted, it just broke even because animation is yet to be welcomed in India. The quality of animation films in the country is not at par with Hollywood and in terms of story, we are still limited to mythological tales and fail to experiment beyond these tried and tested characters. For example, Hanuman (2005) worked because of its novelty factor while Bal Ganesh and Bal Ganesh 2 were mere home video hits.
What then qualifies for ideal kids fare? Mr India (1987) with its cult villain Mogambo and the invisible man angle or Vishal Bhardwaj’s dark Makdee (2002), a spicy mix of Enid Blyton with a touch of Grimm’s Fairy Tales and Boris Karloff?
Will things change for the better? Amole Gupte, writer, producer, director and actor, whose latest film, Stanley Ka Dabba has just released, has a simple explanation — he feels that children’s films as a genre isn’t exploited much, if not neglected. “Children are not on anyone’s agenda!” he says simply.
“Kids, according to adults today, do not have any individuality. They are not co-opted members of a nuclear family and have no role to play when it comes to discussing family matters.” The writer of Taare Zameen Par (2007) says that children have so many issues to deal with that are completely ignored. “Stanley Ka Dabba uses food as a metaphor for a mother’s love for a child and how children, unlike we self-centered adults, stand up for one another in times of adversity.”
The most remarkable aspect of this film is the way it was executed. “Partho, my son, plays Stanley. We shot the film with the revolutionary Canon 7-D camera, without lighting and props. Though the screenplay was locked, the lines delivered by the kids were extempore. There were no sets. I shot the film as part of a voluntary theatre workshop at Mumbai’s Holy Family High School, where I studied for seven years. We shot for four hours a day and packed this 92-minute film in 18 months!” adds Gupte.
The idea, says Gupte, was to ensure that the kids were stress-free. “While shooting films, serials or ads, most children have to wait for hours for one shot with an adult chaperone. At times, they lose focus and gradually, innocence too, especially after they become famous. To prevent this, I organised for counseling sessions for the kids and their parents.”
So will Stanley Ka Dabba prove to be a breakthrough film in this genre of cinema? Although Karan Johar and Vishal Bhardwaj have wonderful things to say about the film, will the kids say so too?
Bollywood has a few children’s films lined up for release, including, UTV’s Chillar Party. But just a small number of films do not make a memorable summer. We need a whole pack of them.