Bold strokes

When Irfan Kamal,director of Thanks Maa,read an article titled ‘Orphan in the Womb’ in one of the English dailies,he was flabbergasted to discover the number of street children who came under the ‘abandoned’ category. “We often think that street kids are those struck by poverty or those who have run away from their homes. But during my research for the movie,I found out that out of the 1.2 crore street kids in

India,the majority were abandoned ones found outside reformatory homes,hospitals and police stations,” says the director.

Despite the grim subject,it is a fun film with a message. “I have delved into the world of these kids and showed how self-sufficient they are,” says Kamal,hoping to make this February 19 release a box office success too.

While street children may be at the receiving end of a string of social problems,one must spare a thought for school kids as well. Paathshaala,directed by Milind Ukey and slotted to hit theatres on April 9,questions the sanctity of the Indian education system. “We are not against any school. Our main aim is to shed light on the shortcomings and wrong doings in today’s schools,where the morals and ethics associated with the teaching profession seem to have taken a backseat,” says Ukey. To sell a story like this one needs to add glamour as well. “Well-known faces will help the film reach out further.”

With Paathshala,Bollywood attempts to challenge notions that threaten children’s future and thus the society. However,Faruque Kabir,director of Allah Ke Banday,has gone a step ahead. He has based his film on the lives of children in juvenile homes across the country. “For the movie,I have cast 40 children,who have served their time at these homes,” says Kabir. His decision to make the movie,which releases on April 2,was prompted by a chance visit to Punjab’s juvenile homes. “Earlier,I had only heard of juvenile homes. However,on visiting one,I realised that most children were imprisoned because they were charged of murder and that shook me,” says Kabir,who feels now is the right time to address such issues through films.

Kabir has made sure that he manages to drive home a point without making Allah Ke Banday a dark film. “Convicting a person wrongly might lead to development of a more sinister criminal psychosis set on a quest for ultimate power instead of reforming him/her.” Not just behind the bars,the quest to ascertain power can be prevalent in daily life too. A case in point is marital rape. “This is one of the major ways of asserting power,” feels Karan

Razdan,director of Mittal Vs Mittal that releases on March 19. “I read about this in a magazine. Later,when I surfed the net,there were 100 testimonials of women who were subjected to marital rape. This drove me to make a film,” says Razdan,who was appalled that there was no law until 2007 to fight this injustice. “Through this film,I hope women across sections realise their rights.”