It’s been more than 1.5 years since I wrote in my blog. I did read about writer’s block which a stage comes in every writer’s life which might last for a day or days or weeks or months or years or in the worst case years also. Thankfully for me it did not lasted for one and a half year and hope that this will be the longest block. However, I did write few unfinished scripts and couple of short stories.
I have decided that I will be dedicating more to review the books and movies which I like most.
Today I’m going to write review about movie ‘Stanley Ka Dabba’.
I still remember crying almost like a baby when I watched ‘Taare Zameen par’. It’s not that I was also suffered from learning condition which Ishan Awasthi undergoes. But its more about the authenticity of the performance by everyone in the movie. I was totally in awe of Taare Zameen par title song, It was amazing to see those ‘special children’ performance used in that song and proud parents reactions. I do guess that they are original parents of children because no extras would have acted with so authenticity and believably which made that movie so good and real.
Again the same reason makes ‘Stanley Ka Dabba’ lovable. The reason may be Mr. Amol Gupte for both the movies. Who was creatively involved in former movie but we do know who took the credit.
Yes, I would like to applaud Mr. Amol Gupte for his startling ability not only to understand the children’s thoughts but also to render it on screen. Sir, you deserve hats off!
Right from the first shot where the Stanley prays to Mother Mary and till last frame movie is believable. It is a story of ‘Stanley’ studying in IV standard ‘F’ section aged around 9 or 10 years at Holy Family School. He appears to be average student and uncanny gift for story telling which impresses English Teacher, Rosy madam. He is covered by bruises sometimes and he has a story for each time. He doesn’t get his lunch box (dabba) which according to him is that his mother is away. He eats lunch shared by his friends. He is not liked by his science teacher, Mrs. Nair madam and hated by Hindi teacher, Ba. Bo, Varma (Khadoos) becuase he doesn’t get lunch dabba.
Mr. Khadoos played by Mr. Amol Gupte is for some reason has a huge appetite for others food. He is addicted to other people food. His lips get wet with anticipation of eating other people food and can easily smell if any student opens his box during class to have a bite of batata vada. I never seen or read about such condition but have reminded myself to google out if such condition does exists. Mr. Khadoos don’t mind searching other people lockers for food or to steal food from his colleague’s bag. Also he is not ashamed for asking food from others and bullying his class students to share their box. This condition of Mr. Khadoos makes him to hate Stanley as he don’t get his own food also takes his share of food, which is not surprising as instinctively we all hate people who wants to get our share.
When Stanley’s friend discovers that Stanley don’t get his lunch dabba and decides to share their lunch with them. But they have to do it without informing Mr. Khadoos as he wants his share of food. Its really funny to watch how they deceive and change locations each day. One fine day they get caught and Mr. Khadoos blasts Stanley and tells he has to enter school when he gets his own lunch dabba.
Then Stanley will be absent in school and his friends complains against Mr. Khadoos and which results in his ouster from the school. Stanley does get his lunch dabba and offers it to Mr. Khadoos but he is broken already. I liked one line in the letter which he writes to Stanley ‘Main aaine khud se haath nahi mila sakta kaise main tere se haath milaonga?’
Stanley will be selected for inter school concert which would be a good show and everyone appreciates it. We would be so sucked into movie that we never notice that we have not yet seen Stanley’s parents. After the concert he would be waiting for his mother but school’s father will drop him. Stanley enters a small restaurant and gets slaps and scolding from the hotel’s owner. Then we come to know that Stanley is orphan and movie does speak about Child Labor in India.
Sounds confusing? Yes, it does. It appears like beautiful stars arranged in haphazard manner and it does not make much sense when looked in whole. It could have been beautiful movie if few things were properly addressed like ‘Why was the fact that Stanley is orphan and in forced labor to be revealed at end?’ If so ‘What was the purpose of movie? If the purpose of movie is to highlight child labor then ‘why it has shown only in end and it is not emphasized anywhere else?’
I’m not a professional to suggest or to pinpoint errors but as I’m in a democratic country and free to express my opinion I would suggest that if the movie was about some dream or aim which Stanley was chasing it would have been better. At least they could have highlighted the concert song and dance.
Except those few flaws the movie is superb. We do feel like we are visiting a school and looking what is happening around. Performances by non-professional school children are better than other professionals in industry. The protagonist ‘Stanley’ played by Partho is a treat to watch, his talking, walking, eating, writing smiling, laughing etc. is just like him in normal life. That is what according to me acting is ‘We should not act, we should be them’.
Performance by other supporting actors are commendable especially Mr. Gupte. Songs are not integral part of movie but the last song is good to hear.
We all do know that Child Labor is evil and we need to abolish them. Please, my earning friends I urge you people to get in touch with any charitable trusts which do work toward abolishing child labor. I’m doing the same at the earliest. The movie did impact me as I cannot imagine my son in such condition. Also I would request all not to scold or hurt children whom we see on traffic signals. It’s high time for us to be human first and rest can wait.
The movie did bring back my school days and our lunch breaks. All the memories flooded back. It was truly a happiest moments when we shared food in school and talked about so many irrelevant things. We all had our own group of friends and fixed spots to have lunch. Few of my friends went to their home for lunch which I think is disaster as it was only time for us to socialize with friends.
I do remember that everyone appreciated my mom’s cooking. Few of my school friends still appreciate my mother’s food. But in college it was a different story I was not able to get lunch due to my financial conditions (which I never admitted openly). My friends Soma Shekar and Srikanth paid for my lunch many times in hotel during my P.U.C. Sathnarayana (Shasthri) and Srinivas (Seena) literally fed from their lunch box for 3 years during BSc. My friends in MSc Santosh, Abhishek Das, Nirmallya and Harsha did take me to their hostel mess to have lunch although I was not allowed. I would like to thank all of them for being such a good friends and they do have special place in my heart.
Once again Thanks and Hats Off to Mr. Amol Gupte.
