While exposure to world cinema has led to experimentation with themes in the Hindi film industry, Bollywood's interest in films centered around children has remained limited.
- Movie Review: Chidiya
- Actors: Vinay Pathak, Amrita Subhash, Hetal Gada, Swar Kambale, Brijendra Kala
- Director: Mehraan Amrohi
- Genre: Hindi, Drama, Thriller
- Duration: 1 Hrs 50 Min
- Critic Rating: 3.5/5
Entertainment: When discussing children-centric films in Bollywood, only a few come to mind. Films like 'Taare Zameen Par', 'Chillar Party', 'Makdi', and 'Stanley Ka Dabba' remain memorable years later because they portrayed childhood not merely as an age, but as a challenging experience.
Director Mehraan Amrohi's 'Chidiya' offers a similar innocent yet poignant experience. It not only depicts the realities of children's lives but also fearlessly questions societal ironies.
Childhood, Helplessness, and the Dream of Badminton
The story of 'Chidiya' revolves around two innocent children, Shanu (Swar Kambale) and Buua (Ayush Pathak), living in a Mumbai slum. Having lost their father in an accident, their mother, Vaishnavi (Amrita Subhash), struggles to hold their broken family together. Poverty forces them out of school, and Vaishnavi works attaching fall to sarees to make ends meet.
Amidst these hardships, the children nurture a dream – to play badminton. Acquiring a shuttlecock (Chidiya), rackets, a net, and a playing space seems like an impossible mission, yet their enthusiasm is captivating.
A Blend of Social Seriousness and Sensitivity
The film's beauty lies in the absence of a dramatic villain. Poverty and struggle aren't caused by an individual but by a system itself in disarray. Chacha Bali (Vinay Pathak), a spot boy at a film production house, despite his own struggles, extends compassion and support to his nephews.
To realize their badminton court dream within their broken lives, the children collect scrap, create a net from old clothes, construct posts from used poles, and even obtain a shuttlecock from actor Shreyas Talpade while working on a film set. It's a story of pursuing a small dream, where every character's contribution feels like a fairy tale.
A Shower of Emotions and the Light of Smiles
The film compels its viewers to experience a downpour of sadness, yet within that rain, a vibrant rainbow emerges. The screenplay's dialogue is so realistic and precise that it cuts straight to the heart – lines like, "When a father dies, does the police feed the children?", or "In movies, there's only one hero; everyone else is a laborer," resonate long after the film ends.
Technical Aspects and Music
The cinematography (Vikas Joshi) is highly impactful. The way the Mumbai slum and the film sets are captured enhances the film's authenticity. Shailendra Barve's music perfectly matches the film's mood – songs like 'Ae Dil Ki Nanhi Chidiya' and 'Dono Tarf Sannata' particularly deepen the story's impact.
In terms of acting, Amrita Subhash's portrayal of a sorrowful yet b mother is so vivid that several scenes bring tears to the eyes. Vinay Pathak's natural acting anchors the film's soul. The child actors, Swar Kambale, Ayush Pathak, and Hetal Gada, perform so naturally that it feels like watching the story of neighborhood children rather than a film.
Inamulhaq, as a disabled tailor, adds a touch of light humor, and veteran actors like Brijendra Kala leave a deep impression even in small roles.
Why Watch 'Chidiya'?
'Chidiya' is not just a film; it's an experience – teaching us that dreams aren't exclusive to the wealthy. It shows how collective cooperation and innocent determination can make even the biggest dreams come true. The film's greatest achievement is its effortless portrayal of children's struggles, a mother's helplessness, an uncle's affection, and society's struggles.
