Baaja

2002 Indian film

2002 (2002)

Running time

80 minutesCountryIndiaLanguageHindi

Baaja (Mouth Organ; Hindi: बाजा) is a 2002 Indian Hindi film directed by Apurba Kishore Bir.

Synopsis

A free and compassionate human spirit is trapped in Shibu, an eleven-year-old boy. In order to guide Shibu's wandering energy on a constructive path, his widow mother sends him to the city from the village, with his uncle. But Shibu's carefree approach to life and his energetic response to reality, makes him a subject of annoyance to the neighbour as well as his own aunt. This forces his uncle to be strict with him and he takes him along to his shoe shop, in order to keep a watch on him, studying. But the situation leads Shibu on a different track. Being asked by the Uncle to carry a pair of shoes to a doctor's residence, Shibu ventures across the streets and lanes in his casual and carefree manner while encountering some stray incidents. But, then something very sudden and unpredictable happens, which invites him to show his true potential and real merit, to surprise the adults, effected by indifferent attitude.

Cast

Yakub Shaikhl
Ram Awana as shibu's uncle
Roni Bhatt
Saroj Bhagwar
Manisha Rajpal
Chitra Pandey

Crew

Director/Script : Apurba Kishore Bir
Story & Screenplay: Apurba Kishore Bir
Cinematography : Apurba Kishore Bir
Music : Bhavdeep Jaipurwale
Editing : Aseem Sinha
Dialogue : Hubnath Pandey
Sound : Nihar Ranjan Samel

Awards & Participation

National Film Awards 2003 (Best Children Film)^[1]^[2]

Music

Bhavdeep Jaipurwale arranged the music for this film.

Review

A. K. Bir too has a child protagonist in Baaja. Shibu is brought from the village to the town to be better educated. The boy's encounters and adventures on the streets bring out his savvy nature and concern for others; they also give him a better understanding of values. Shibu gives first aid to a grandma who has been cudgelled by a thief, minds the wailing baby, finds a doctor, and recovers the stolen gold chain. Since Bir is unable to decide whether to opt for realism or the fairy tale mode, the film hangs uneasily between the two genres. ^[3]

References

^ "IFFI-2002 SCREENING PROGRAMME".
^ "PIB Press Releases".
^ Article Title^[usurped]

External links

Baaja at IMDb
Interview of 'A.K.Bir'in www.filmnirvana.com

National Film Award for Best Children's Film

1954–1960

No Award (1953) No Award (1954) No Award (1955) No Award (1956) Hum Panchhi Ek Daal Ke (1957) No Award (1958) No Award (1959) Phool Aur Kaliyan (1960)
Certificate of Merit	Khela Ghar (1953) No Award (1954) No Award (1955) Jaldeep (1956) Janmatithi (1957) Virsa and the Magic Doll (1958) Banyan Deer (1959) Idd Mubarak and Delhi Ki Kahani (1960)

1961–1980

Hattogol Vijay (1961) No Award (1962) No Award (1963) No Award (1964) No Award (1965) No Award (1966) No Award (1967) Heerer Prajapati (1968) No Award (1969) No Award (1970) No Award (1971) No Award (1972) No Award (1973) No Award (1974) No Award (1975) No Award (1976) Safed Haathi (1977) Joi Baba Felunath (1978) No Award (1979) No Award (1980)
Certificate of Merit	Savitri and Nanhe Munne Sitare (1961) Raju Aur Gangaram (1962) Panch Puthliyan (1963) No Award (1964) The Adventure of A Sugar Doll and As You Like It (1965) Discontinued after 1965