chintu ka birthday review

Chintu Ka Birthday portrays the essence of life, that it waits for none and one must live to the fullest under the direst of circumstances. It narrates the story of a family stuck in war-torn Baghdad in early 2000s, and has Solid performances from Vinay Pathak and his two proven co-actors

Chintu Ka Birthday, as simple and unrelated the title may sound to the real story at play, deals in pressing issues of our times like migration and identity, thus stressing on the movie's relevance now more than ever. Director duo Satyanshu and Devanshu Singh keep the storytelling simple and deliver entertainment and morality lessons with subtlety while arousing empathy in the viewers for the characters and their situation.

How challenging can it be for a middle-class couple to throw a birthday party for their child? All you need is a bit of tinsel and cake. For six-year-old Chintu, stuck in war-torn Iraq with his family, a party is a distant dream. He was unable to celebrate his birthday last year and his family has promised him double the fun this year -- they will ensure Chintu will get the birthday party he deserves.

As seasoned and effortless actors like Vinay Pathak, Tillotama Shome and Seema Pahwa lead the narrative, one becomes quickly invested in the heartwarming tale of a family that is not unlike us, and in facing borderline fatal circumstances due to government and system's negligence, the Tiwaris become us and vice versa.

April, 2004. Chintu (Vedant Raj Chibber) gets ready for school in a small Baghdad neighbourhood. The sunlight is streaming in through the windows. His dad, Madan (Vinay Pathak) is singing discordantly inside the bathroom while Sudha, his mother (Tilottama Shome), preps him for his special day. Bespectacled, well-combed, and cute as a button, Chintu is ready to celebrate his sixth birthday with his classmates. There are toffees to be distributed — dad has ordered double to make up for last year — a cake to be brought home and a big, roomy house to be decorated.

Chintu Ka Birthday, streaming on Zee5, is in way a facile affair, but it has an undeniably feel-good air about it. Setting the story in Iraq is an easy way out. It enables an overly generalised statement on the plight of people trapped in a conflict zone. The makers of the film do not have to step on political toes closer home while making the right noises.

Chintu Ka Birthday proves yet again how intelligent writing is the key to a successful project. The way a 6-year-old Chintu tells the story of Saddam Hussein’s downfall in 2004’s Iraq in layman’s language brings so much freshness to the screen. The duty of a family to deal with a tough situation as a whole signifies the importance of loved ones who can make any trouble look small when the burden is shared by everyone

Chintu Ka Birthday is a beautifully written story but sometimes struggles with its pace. For those who find it hard to concentrate if the screenplay is slow, it might be a challenge. But the rest, who like human stories, will fall in love with this birthday party. While the events leading up to the situation are not entirely convincing, the film connects with the viewer at so many levels. It definitely leaves you with a feeling of optimism, especially in these testing times we are living in.