A Dabba with a message

Amole Gupte came into prominence with his writing for the celebrated Taare Zameen Par. One thing that emerged through the film was Amole’s commitment towards the cause of children. From having worked for years along with his wife Deepa Bhatia on children’s welfare, rose the fount of stories from the observation , and thus came about Stanley Ka Dabba.

At the risk of your approach toward the movie being ruined by Taare Zameen Par, I must mention that though it was Gupte’s idea, and he was supposed to direct it, until Aamir Khan took up the job and made it in a manner that Indian audiences commonly find appealing. Every single adult Ishaan Awasti (Darsheel Safary’s character in Taare Zameen Par) encounters is portrayed as either cruel or indifferent, until a major Bollywood superstar turns up as his salvation.

But how  Gupte deals with Stanley, is more real. It isn’t everyday that one comes across  honest cinema with a message.

When writing about films, I fail to understand why much isn’t mentioned about the director. An insight into what led to creating the motion picture. Stanley ka Dabba is essentially Amole Gupte’s story and he weaves it with his experience.

Stanley, like all kids loves to concoct elaborate stories, much to everybody’s amusement. He fibs without malice when in trouble, or when a concerned teacher asks why his face is covered with bruises. And who, unlike his classmates does not get a ‘dabba’ to school which earns him the ire of a cussed teacher (played by Amol Gupte) who eyes children’s lunchboxe who berates him for it. Gupte rebukes at norms and tries to break them through the film.

The charm of the film lies in its real, lucid storytelling. I am refraining from delving into the plot, because this is essentially an interpretation, more textual than contextual. For most viewers, the film may require patient viewing to deconstruct.

Gupte’s son Partho (who plays Stanley in the movie) appears as if he is born into the role.

Food is used as a metaphor in the film for Stanley’s life.

The ‘Dabba’ is what carries that message