Using real street children in the cast was always going to be a bit of a gamble and a gimmick but it pays off in this well crafted and engaging story of one disfigured boy's experiences within the begging life. Reporting to his cruel gang master, the boy is forced to do things against his wishes and, finding he only loses day-to-day he starts to look for a way out of the city.
Although the plot is fairly obvious (looking for a way out you say?) this film is still well worth seeing for many reasons, not least of which is the portrayal of the begging culture in the biggest cities in India. We see how harsh it is, the ages of those involved and who actually benefits from their work. It is told in such a way as to be interesting throughout and drew me in gradually. It does go "up itself" a little bit towards the end and offers some form of redemption that I doubt is realistic to many street kids, but generally it is very good at creating a tangible world for the viewer. The direction is great and makes great use of locations, painting them with rich colour and vibrancy that contrasts well with Raj's situation. The cast are roundly good. Kumar gives a sensitive character although Gopal-Vagela is a bit too light and happy-go-lucky to convince as a girl who has worked in this situation for long.
Overall though, despite the straightforward narrative and unconvincing conclusions, this is still an engaging and interesting short film that frames a world well thanks to good performances and some very professional and impressive delivery from a director using great locations really well.
Although the plot is fairly obvious (looking for a way out you say?) this film is still well worth seeing for many reasons, not least of which is the portrayal of the begging culture in the biggest cities in India. We see how harsh it is, the ages of those involved and who actually benefits from their work. It is told in such a way as to be interesting throughout and drew me in gradually. It does go "up itself" a little bit towards the end and offers some form of redemption that I doubt is realistic to many street kids, but generally it is very good at creating a tangible world for the viewer. The direction is great and makes great use of locations, painting them with rich colour and vibrancy that contrasts well with Raj's situation. The cast are roundly good. Kumar gives a sensitive character although Gopal-Vagela is a bit too light and happy-go-lucky to convince as a girl who has worked in this situation for long.
Overall though, despite the straightforward narrative and unconvincing conclusions, this is still an engaging and interesting short film that frames a world well thanks to good performances and some very professional and impressive delivery from a director using great locations really well.