'Dhanak' to 'Budhia Singh': National Film Awardee children's films
It's difficult to imagine the film industry without talented child artists. Sometimes children bring much-needed emotional depth to a movie; other times, they can be used for comic relief and to bring about the vulnerability of adult characters. It's only fitting then that kids get their own films. As India celebrates Children's Day today, here are some National Film Award-winning film recommendations for you.
'Dhanak'
Nagesh Kukunoor's Dhanak is a peep into the unadulterated love that flourishes between siblings during their childhood when they haven't been corrupted by the need to outpace each other. Pari takes care of her blind brother Chotu and is determined to get his eyesight restored, and the only point of contention between them is whether SRK is a better actor or Salman Khan.
'Budhia Singh - Born to Run'
Budhia Singh - Born to Run stars Manoj Bajpayee, Mayur Mahendra Patole, Tillotama Shome, and Gajraj Rao. The IMDb synopsis reads, "A biopic about Budhia Singh, the world's youngest marathon runner whose story garnered controversy and inspiration around the world." It was helmed by Soumendra Padhi and produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures and Code Red Films. Haven't watched this yet? Head over to Netflix.
'Sarkari Hi. Pra. Shaale, Kasaragodu, Koduge: Ramanna Rai'
Long before Rishab Shetty shot to nationwide acclaim through 2022's Kantara, he had already directed Sarkari Hi. Pra. Shaale, Kasaragodu, Koduge: Ramanna Rai. The third film directed by Shetty, it was headlined by Anant Nag, Ranjan, Sampath, Pramod Shetty, Mahendra, Sohan Shetty, and Prakash Thuminad. Shetty had also written the story and screenplay and produced this Kannada socio-political drama-comedy film.
'My Dear Kuttichathan'/'Chhota Chetan'
My Dear Kuttichathan, streaming on Disney+ Hotstar, has the honor of not simply being a fan-favorite film, but also India's first 3D venture. The original Malayalam version starred Kottarakkara Sreedharan Nair, Sonia, and Dalip Tahil. It revolves around an evil sorcerer and three kids. If you're yet to check out this fantasy film, the Hindi version is streaming on JioCinema and Amazon Prime Video.
'Manu Uncle'
IMDb describes Manu Uncle as "A group of children and their uncle Manu starts a mission to catch the robbers in the museum." Headlined by an array of well-known Malayalam actors such as Mammootty, MG Soman, Prathapachandran, Mohanlal (in a special appearance), and Suresh Gopi (cameo), Manu Uncle is now counted among one of Malayalam cinema's cult classics.
