I remember being lost in its world as a child- the wonderful world of the Blue Umbrella created by Ruskin Bond. As I grew up, other stories came and went and the umbrella gathered dust, in its very own corner of my mind. After ages, I remembered about it and expected it to be tattered and worn out. But to my utter pleasure, I saw it unfurl its magical and mesmerizing beauty as I opened it once again.
Rating: 3.5/5
Thanks to Vishal Bharadwaj, many more like me have enjoyed a voyage into our childhood. I am referring to his latest release- The Blue Umbrella, which has been adapted from Ruskin Bond’s work. Before the film’s release, there was a lot of speculation and also some debate as to whether the film would be able to stand up against Chakh De. In my honest opinion, they had nothing to fear because after a very long time, a meaningful movie has made it to the fore.
Pankaj Kapur in The Blue Umbrella
The story is about a young girl named Biniya who lives in a remote little village hiding from modernity. The people of the village are used to the mundane and don’t have much to look forward to. In such an existence, fate smiled at Biniya one day as she came across a tourist who traded her the most wonderful umbrella she had ever seen for her amulet. Obviously from an exotic land, the umbrella was blue in color and was made from the richest fabric. Overjoyed with her new possession, Biniya never let it out of her sight. The same thing became a sore sight for a lot of jealous kittens in the village, especially Nandkishore. He owned a little shop and enjoyed having other people in his debt. He considered himself superior to the rest and basically was like a lazy tom cat. He could not believe that someone else could have something that he wanted. As luck would have it, the umbrella is stolen and there are a lot of suspects. But so attached was she to the umbrella that Biniya resolved to find it; whatever be the price.
Though a simple story, Vishal has breathed life into Bond’s characters and what we have is a movie worth remembering. Perfectly cast, Shreya Sharma as Biniya is refreshing as an innocent village girl. With great camera presence, she has a lucrative career ahead of her. Pankaj Kapoor as the wily Nandkishore is expectedly amazing. In fact, he has invoked the character to the extent of having developed a native accent which is almost difficult to comprehend. Even the rest of the supporting cast is ably picked and have done a commendable job.
Shreya Sharma in The Blue Umbrella
Though this movie is supposed to be a childrens’ film, there is a lot in it that we adults can learn from. Envy, desire, deceit, pain, loss- all these are feeling that we are not alien to. The story has deeper tones which pass on some very important messages to all of us.
My strong recommendation is that if you have to choose between Chakh De India and this film, go for both because I promise you, it will be worth it.
Rating: 3.5/5
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