The story follows a young boy, Sooraj, struggling to adapt to his new school in a Mumbai slum, facing bullying from students and teachers. Plus, he soon finds out that he won't be able to practice his beloved sport of soccer on the school grounds because the government is reclaiming the land. When he joins hands with a local gangster, Sooraj sees his future could change.
This film has great production quality, camera work, and script. I love how Sooraj's daily life is portrayed in the film, especially his interactions with his mother. I like how everything unfolds clearly in the first hour to set up for the climax of the film. The cinematography is superb. There are lots of tracking shots in the high-adrenaline sports scenes, and the lighting is played with to give an appropriate mood. The sets suit the storyline. Suraj's home in the Mumbai chawls is true-to-life, as is his government school. Everything from the narrow lanes to the clamor in the slums is perfectly reproduced. The background music is a mix of traditional Indian rhythms and more modern Indian music, and the tempo and rhythm of the background track adjusts to the pace of the scenes. The scenes where Sooraj runs from his bullies are especially well-matched with their background tracks. Sooraj sees some people as animals (an interesting detail I wish was expanded upon a bit more in the story). Most of the VFX are believable but I am not a big fan of the detailing of the monkey-head given to school bully Babu; it seems fake. I love the performance by Ritvik Sahore - he shines as brightly as his name, Sooraj (meaning sun). I especially love the depth of his emotions, his crisp and powerful dialogue delivery, and his clear passion for the role. Another Indian star, Avneet Kaur, who plays Mili, Sooraj's best friend (and perhaps love interest), is compelling as well. She pulls off the role of a simple, if slightly cheeky, schoolgirl very well. Prashant, Sooraj's gangster friend, is my personal favorite character, simply for how the role is played by actor Prashant Narayanan. Viewers go from suspecting his motives to downright disliking him to realizing his true nature as a kind, helpful, Robin Hood-like figure.
The appearance of some prominent Bollywood actors like Ravi Kishan and Govind Namdev is a pleasant surprise, too. Director Manish Tiwary is a virtuoso in his direction of this film. His personal background as Bihari has clearly influenced the portrayal of Sooraj and, his time in Mumbai, shows through his portrayal of the city. His direction makes every single character's performances riveting. My favorite part of the film is the equation between Sooraj and Prashant, his Mumbai gangster friend; it's a wholesome element that lightens some heavy parts of the film. I also like Sooraj's backstory, delivered in comic strip-style, though it does stereotype Bihari people a bit.
The film promotes respect, kindness, resourcefulness, and resilience as keys to success. Be forewarned that it shows kids doing risky things that kids might imitate. Kids run through slums, fight with each other, and one is forced to wield a weapon.
I give The Zoo (Chidiakhana) 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. By Eshaan M., KIDS FIRST!
The story follows a young boy, Sooraj, struggling to adapt to his new school in a Mumbai slum, facing bullying from students and teachers. Plus, he soon finds out that he won't be able to practice his beloved sport of soccer on the school grounds because the government is reclaiming the land. When he joins hands with a local gangster, Sooraj sees his future could change.
This film has great production quality, camera work, and script. I love how Sooraj's daily life is portrayed in the film, especially his interactions with his mother. I like how everything unfolds clearly in the first hour to set up for the climax of the film. The cinematography is superb. There are lots of tracking shots in the high-adrenaline sports scenes, and the lighting is played with to give an appropriate mood. The sets suit the storyline. Suraj's home in the Mumbai chawls is true-to-life, as is his government school. Everything from the narrow lanes to the clamor in the slums is perfectly reproduced. The background music is a mix of traditional Indian rhythms and more modern Indian music, and the tempo and rhythm of the background track adjusts to the pace of the scenes. The scenes where Sooraj runs from his bullies are especially well-matched with their background tracks. Sooraj sees some people as animals (an interesting detail I wish was expanded upon a bit more in the story). Most of the VFX are believable but I am not a big fan of the detailing of the monkey-head given to school bully Babu; it seems fake. I love the performance by Ritvik Sahore - he shines as brightly as his name, Sooraj (meaning sun). I especially love the depth of his emotions, his crisp and powerful dialogue delivery, and his clear passion for the role. Another Indian star, Avneet Kaur, who plays Mili, Sooraj's best friend (and perhaps love interest), is compelling as well. She pulls off the role of a simple, if slightly cheeky, schoolgirl very well. Prashant, Sooraj's gangster friend, is my personal favorite character, simply for how the role is played by actor Prashant Narayanan. Viewers go from suspecting his motives to downright disliking him to realizing his true nature as a kind, helpful, Robin Hood-like figure.
The appearance of some prominent Bollywood actors like Ravi Kishan and Govind Namdev is a pleasant surprise, too. Director Manish Tiwary is a virtuoso in his direction of this film. His personal background as Bihari has clearly influenced the portrayal of Sooraj and, his time in Mumbai, shows through his portrayal of the city. His direction makes every single character's performances riveting. My favorite part of the film is the equation between Sooraj and Prashant, his Mumbai gangster friend; it's a wholesome element that lightens some heavy parts of the film. I also like Sooraj's backstory, delivered in comic strip-style, though it does stereotype Bihari people a bit.
The film promotes respect, kindness, resourcefulness, and resilience as keys to success. Be forewarned that it shows kids doing risky things that kids might imitate. Kids run through slums, fight with each other, and one is forced to wield a weapon.
I give The Zoo (Chidiakhana) 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. By Eshaan M., KIDS FIRST!
KIDS FIRST! Goes Local: Submit a review & win!
