Masand's Verdict: Tahaan, a film of great virtue

BEYOND BORDERS: Purav Bhandare delivers a spellbinding performance as the protagonist.

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There's a scene in Santosh Sivan's Tahaan in which a group of Kashmiri kids play make-believe militants in the same way that most of us played "chor police" as kids.

That scene, more than any other scene in this film, succeeds in demonstrating just how well the director understands the themes he's dealing with in his new film.

Tahaan is a heartwarming story of the friendship between a young Kashmiri boy and his faithful childhood companion, a donkey.

It's the story of a difficult journey the boy is willing to undertake to bring back his donkey, who has been separated from him.

But Tahaan is also the story of present-day Kashmir and cross-border terrorism, and of course, of the test that the little boy is put to in the name of unconditional friendship.

Unfolding at a leisurely pace, Sivan's film addresses so many relevant and important issues but you've got to be alert to notice.

On the surface, it's a simple fable, almost Iranian-film like in its treatment, but think hard and you'll agree it packs in so much all at once.

Breathtakingly photographed, Tahaan succeeds in drawing attention to just how lovely Kashmir really is, a fact we already know, but are happy to be reminded again thanks to Sivan's intuitive camerawork.

The film belongs to child-actor Purav Bhandare who delivers a spellbinding performance as the protagonist of this story. He slips into his part almost instinctively and never once makes it look like acting.

He's joined by the immensely gifted Sarika who musters up such inherent strength in her role as his mute mother. Anupam Kher, occasionally over-the-top but largely in character as the travelling delivery man, provides the conflict in the young kid's life, but Rahul Bose hams it up as the comic sidekick.

What I liked best about Tahaan is the fact that there's no sense of the little boy "not knowing" what choice he has to make in the end.

He knows exactly what he's being asked to do and he knows the consequences. He decides it's a fair trade off for getting his donkey back.

I've seen too many films where children have been taken advantage of, without their knowing. Tahaan is not that kind of film and that's where its strength lies.

I'm going to go with three out of five for Santosh Sivan's Tahaan, it's a film for those who know how to appreciate a good thing.

It's a film of great virtue.

Rating: 3 / 5 (Good)