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Beautiful film with a wonderful storyline and terrific music. This whole film gives us a glimpse into the culture of India, especially for impoverished children. The music alone makes this compelling to watch. But the star of the show is the young actor, Sabir Khan, who plays the 10 year old boy. Excellent camera work, great acting by every cast member and well paced. We feel for the impoverished boy and admire his spunk and drive. When all his money is stolen from him, we share his heartbreak. The ending is very satisfying and the whole film will grab your attention from start to finish. Beautiful. I give this 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 18, plus adults. Reviewed by Julie S., KIDS FIRST! Juror.
Cheel Gaadi is a local term used for airplane (Flying Wagon) which literally translates as Cheel: Eagle & Gaadi: Vehicle. It's a story of a 10 year old boy who works in a tea stall near an airport and has a dream to sit in an airplane one day. To buy the tickets he collects money by betting with the customers on the next flight's colour. He spends his days working in the tea stall and his nights in an abandoned sewer pipe, on a broken bridge outside the airport wall, which he has converted into his version of home. And finally when he collects the amount needed, his journey starts in the so called mature world of adults to acquire the ticket "Cheel Gaadi" is set up in the heritage city of Jaipur, Rajasthan and has been supported with a very unique folk musical perspective on storytelling; its depth and magic lies in the innocence of the kid. The film has a playback song, which is a fine rendition of a Rajasthani folk song, sung by the actor himself, adding to the rooted flavour of the film.
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