As the Children's Film Festival at Bharat Bhavan is evoking a good response, two Hindi films Chota Sipahi and Surbhi were screened here on Sunday.
It is to be noted that the Children Film festival being organised by Bharat Bhavan for the school students. All the movies being shown in the film festival are made by CFSI and are based on social issues, dreams and aspirations of kids.
Chota Sipahi is a movie that showcases a huge bravery by a small kid Jose. Directed by Jayashree Kanal and AS Kanal the movie has the running time of 88 minutes. Notably, Jayashree debuted as a director with the film ‘Kaat Kaat Kad Kaddu’ for CFSI and followed it up by co-directing Chota Sipahi. AS Kanal has worked as a teacher of cinematography at FTII and currently he is working as an independent producer and trainer.
The movie won Best Child Artist award at 52ndNational Film Awards India in 2005. It also won Best Theatrical Feature Film (Foreign Category) at 38thAnnual Worldfest, Houston International Film Festival USA in 2004.
The movie surrounds the life and aspiration of a young boy Joze. Joze is a young Goan boy growing up during the freedom movement of the state in the 60s. Though young and thus expected to remain ignorant of the political winds brewing all over, he becomes acutely aware of the grave injustice everywhere and the sacrifice made by those around him.
This instills in him a sense of responsibility that becomes instrumental in saving many lives during a crucial military operation. Later, film Surbhi was screened.
