Gattu is heartwarming

Gattu is heartwarming
Friday, July 20, 2012 11:34 IST
By Subhash K Jha, Santa Banta News Network
/> Starring Mohammad Samad, Naresh Kumar

Directed by Rajan Khosa

Rating: *** ½

Films with children as the main characters are no longer a rarity. Thank God for that! It's imperative that our cinema cultivate a culture of entertainment that children can empathize with without the content becoming overpowering in its message-mongering motivations.

Gattu is a delicately-threaded morality tale about a poor little boy, never sorry for himself except when play-acting the role of the bereft waif to get his way, who is taken in by his uncle (Naresh Kumar, brilliantly in character).

Now here's where the subtle often slyly humorous film gets tangled. It tells us that contrary to stereotypical expectations the Uncle is no slave-driving villain. He has his good and bad moments with the kid.

Gattu tells us there are no black and white zones to bring up under-privileged children. While child labour is prohibited it can also be a way of providing sustenance for homeless kids. While Gattu longs for a school education, he uses the academic premise to hoodwink the students and teachers to implement his own devious plans.

While on the surface Gattu is a breezy blithe and effervescent look-see at the pangs and pinpricks of growing-up at the grassroots under the surface it ponders sensibly on the question of raising a poor child with dignity outside the rarefied precincts of a school.

All the kids specially Mohammad Samad in the title role, are delightful in their natural ability to own the camera space.

Director Rajan Khosa enters the world of innocence with devious intent. He penetrates the surface of juvenile guilelessness to explore the cunning that often underlines the machinations of the the very young.

Gattu portrays heartwarming moments within and outside the school premise. While making a fervent pitch for every child to attend school the narrative never misses out on a chance for a bit of fun on the fringes.

Gattu is an endearing peep into a child's life as he struggles with intuitive intelligence to bring together the two incompatible worlds of poverty and the solace of schooling. Mohammad Samad as the boy who who would fly higher than a kite is a prized find. Sandesh Shandilya's ebullient songs and music brings its own spot of sunshine in this not-to-be-missed tale about coming of age.

Gattu carries forward the recent trend of sensible, intelligent funny and moving films about child protagonists, namely Taare Zameen Par, I Am Kalam and Stanley Ka Dabba. Add one more film to that luminous list of cinema on little wonders.
Review Khakee - The Bengal Chapter - Gritty, and Intense!

Netflix’s Khakee: The Bengal Chapter is not your usual cop-vs-criminal drama—it’s a raw and intense crime

Tuesday, April 01, 2025
Kanneda Review - Parmish Verma Shines in a Gripping Gangster Drama!

Set in the aftermath of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Kanneda presents a compelling depiction of a growing

Friday, March 21, 2025
Nadaaniyan Review: A Heartwarming Gen Z Rom-Com with Ibrahim Ali Khan and Khushi Kapoor!

The much-anticipated Gen Z romantic comedy 'Nadaaniyan' has finally arrived on Netflix, marking the

Saturday, March 08, 2025
Crazxy Movie Review: A Gripping Thriller That Redefines Suspense Cinema!

Shouldering a film where the protagonist dominates nearly every frame is a formidable challenge for

Friday, February 28, 2025
Mere Husband Ki Biwi Movie Review - A Chaotic Rom-Com with Missed Potential!

Mere Husband Ki Biwi attempts to deliver a quirky romantic comedy but ultimately stumbles due to a

Saturday, February 22, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT