No Child’s Play

While Nair got lucky,her dilemma after having written the script was one that reflects the state of children’s films in India. With the genre never considered “profitable”,filmmakers,for most part,have had to rely on Children’s Film Society of India (CFSI) for funding. “Many renowned makers have tried to dabble in the genre,but have had a tough time getting finances,be it Vishal Bhardwaj with Makdee and The Blue Umbrella or Vikas Bahl,who despite having worked with the biggest of Indian studios as a producer,had to struggle to make Chillar Party,” says Nair.

But the biggest issue with children’s films,according to Gulzar,is their content. The veteran screenwriter-director,said at the 3rd Screenwriters Conference in Mumbai that most filmmakers try to talk down to their audience. “Children may be less experienced about life but they feel the same basic emotions as we do. So instead of defining characters in black and white,real characters with shades of grey,will appeal to them more,” he says. It also helps if children are placed at the centre of these stories as heroes since “such stories make them feel special,” he says.

The stories,however,should have a more universal storyline,argues Nila Madhab Panda,the director of I am Kalam,which will appeal also to parents who accompany their children to the theatres. Nair seconds him,adding that Gippi has a strong nostalgia factor that should remind parents of their own school days.

Gulzar believes that filmmakers should look beyond mythology,as Chhota Bheem and the Throne of Bali does,merging mythology with fiction. Monica Wahi,creative head at CFSI,says that literature offers a huge pool of resource too. “Shakespeare can be told to five-year-olds,ten-year-olds as well as adults. It is the telling that changes,” she says,citing the example of Satyajit Ray’s classic Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne being adapted as animation by Shilpa Ranade.

There are times,however,when a film is made well and fulfills all these criteria,but weak marketing causes the film to fail at the box-office. This,says Nair,is where big production houses such as Johar’s Dharma Productions should step in. “For Gippi,which releases in May,Karan has in place a strong marketing plan,a factor that often decides the future of a film today,” says Nair.