Children Of Heaven (1997)
No one portrays children better than Iranian filmmaker Majid Majdi. The thing that strikes me most about his films is the effect he manages to achieve with minimal drama on the screen. And this is true even in Children Of Heaven, which released in 1997. Like all Majidi films, it is a simple story of a brother and sister living in Tehran. When the brother accidentally loses his sister's shoes, he begs her not to tell their parents. The sister agrees, and the two manage to attend school with just one pair of shoes. The film can be compared to Bicycle Thief — of course, Majidi does not use sub-plots. Children Of Heaven is the best film to understand child psychology. It shows the cynicism and trauma children have to put up with. It also captures the social injustice and class difference. Above all, it shows how children can bring emotion and drama to a story in ways adults cannot.
Apur Sansar (1959)
According to some, Satyajit Ray sold poverty. But that's not true. He told stories that others didn't. I consider Apur Sansar to be his finest film. Apu marries a woman whom he comes to love immensely. But she dies during childbirth. Apu holds the child responsible, shuns his son, and runs away. The story then tracks how he reconciles with his fate and comes to love his son. It's amazing how Ray has shown the innocence that lives on in children despite poverty. Apur Sansar was the third part of a trilogy. The first, Pather Panchali, shows Apu as a small boy, growing up with his sister Durga. In this film, there is a scene where the two run to catch a glimpse of the train, which is simply heartbreaking. Apur Sansar is one film I wish I had made. Of course, when you are behind the camera, you have to bring your own style to the fore. But the film has truly inspired me.
Makdee (2002)
Makdee, directed by Vishal Bharadwaj, tells the story of a witch who has the notorious reputation of turning people into animals. The witch, however, meets her match in the mischievous Chunni who sets out to save her twin sister Munni after the witch turns the latter into a hen. I have never seen such a film even in the fantasy genre. For some reason, there are very few films that tell the kind of stories that our grandparents used to tell us. Makdee is a great example of truthful Indian storytelling. The theme is taken from our own backyard. It also delves into village politics and its impact on children. It gives us a glimpse of people living in such a village and how they look upon witches — right from the murgiwalla to the teacher. Of course, Makdee herself is a great character. The whole film is just crazy.
Nila Madhab Panda is the director of the National award-winning I Am Kalam and the recently released, Jalpari. Here, he talks of three great films with children as protagonists. He spoke to R Krishna
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