Apeksha repels even the thought of studying
mathematics much like how mosquitos repel mosquito repellents. Apeksha is a spirited
and fun-loving, 15-year-old girl for whom waking up in time for school is an
everyday struggle. Her hardworking mother, Chanda, played by Swara Bhaskar, dots
on her and has a sole aim in life- to get her daughter work towards one. Chanda
is appalled when she discovers that her daughter too thinks of working as a
maid when she grows up, just like her mother.
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| A scene from the film. Photo Courtesy: Internet |
What
are we talking about?
Nil
Battey Sannata is a slang for a good-for-nothing
person. It is a Hindi language film about a mother-daughter duo, caught in the
cob webs of poverty and everyday struggles. Apeksha’a rhetoric question to her
mother, “Do you even have the means to educate
me beyond high school?" is
hard-hitting. Why should simple necessities of life like
education be a privilege for some people?
Scenes that you must
not miss on
There is a school assembly scene wherein the school’s principal,
Mr. Srivastava, is picking on late-comers and punishing them. Simultaneously,
he is silently gesturing to the other students, to stand still during the
national anthem. Did you just undergo a déjà vu episode?
It is characters like that of the school principal which act as
litmus test for actors. Pankaj Tripathi does an applaud worthy work and has
acted it out with nuance, without being a buffoon. His portrayal would leave you
smiling from ear-to-ear for his knack of connecting with the masses. Remember
all those silly teachers from back school who till date tickle you with their quirky
antics as you reminisce the good old days?
In one of the scenes, Apeksha’s classmate
talks about mathematics being fun and how he enjoys playing with numbers.
Through this scene, a very interesting life lesson can be derived: Enjoy
whatever you do, life would invariably turn out to be fun and not a burden. Try
doing that with education!
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| A still from the film. Photo Courtesy: Internet |
The
bigger picture
The story tries to reinforce the importance
of education in being self-reliant and the value it brings into one’s life. It
is light-hearted, easy on the eyes and mind, and heart-touching.
The best feature about cinema of this kind is that it dares not to be preachy
and articulates its message without breaking into a song and dance routine
every now and then. In fact, the songs are fun and incorporated well into the
script.
Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari’s maiden, simple and fuss-free
attempt at bringing out a heart touching film is worth applauding. The movie is
finely shot with minimal characters and is intricately detailed. When I got to
know that it has been
produced by Aanand L Rai, my expectations spiked. Well, when a filmmaker like
him backs a project, be assured you will not be disappointed. And with Nil Battey Sannata, he
has successfully dodged a bouncer.
Conclusion?
Easily relatable and fun to keep the kids
engaged with, go watch the film for a fun ride down the memory lane.
