Cast: Vinay Pathak, Tillotama Shome, Seema Pahwa, Bisha Chaturvedi, Vedant Chibber, Khalid Massou, Reginald L Barnes and Nathan Scholz

Director: Devanshu Singh and Satyanshu Singh

Rating: ***1/2

Chintu Ka Birthday is set in the year 2004, at the peak of the Iraq War, just after when Saddam Hussein was killed by American troops on the instructions of the then US President George W Bush. The story is about the struggle of a lower-middle-class migrant family from Bihar, India who are now stranded in a war-torn Baghdad with a certain technicality having made their chances of returning to India rather bleak.

The movie begins off with, Chintu (Vedant Chiiber) who has turned six years old and it's his birthday today. He is very excited to celebrate with his family and friends and is organizing a small house party amid the ongoing war with his father who wants Chintu to be happy. In all this chaos and sadness, Chintu's birthday becomes a bona fide reason for the family to forget their woes and be happy - even if it is just for a day. Except, as the film reminds, the happiness in one's home cannot be in exclusion of the state of his world outside.

Despite the limitations of the setting, directors Devanshu Kumar and Satyanshu Singh are effective in making a very engrossing drama with some lovely moments. The writing is brilliant and every character is written beautifully with full details that make the movie more dramatic & realistic.


The screenplay is incredible in the way it balances nuanced relationship subtexts with the larger socio-political context in such a short runtime. The climax is a bit dramatic but that is what makes the movie totally immersing.

On the performance front, Vinay Pathak is fantastic as a father who is battling with guilt but is hell-bent on giving his son a birthday of his dreams. Vinay has led the movie on his shoulders with a good assist from the supporting cast.


Tillotama Shome continues to surprise us with the variation she brings to her work. Seema Pahwa, as mother-in-law provides ample support to the film in her part. Even Reginald L Barnes and Nathan Scholz as American soldiers portray the characters given to them perfectly.

The junior cast is particularly impressive. Mehroos Ahmed Mir as Chintu's spunky Iraqi pal Waheed and Bisha Chaturvedi as his elder sister Lakshmi are a delight to watch.

Camera work and sound effects are impressively functional and devoid of technical gloss. The storytelling never wavers from a linear track and even the background score of the movie is quite good.

Overall, Chintu is birthday is a must watch feel-good film, especially at these tough times. Watch it for some fabulous performances, engaging storyline and some fine writing.