Children's film 'Kaphal - Wild Berries' wins hearts at the 15th Mumbai Film Festival

There is an anonymous proverb. ‘Children are great imitators. So give them something great to imitate.’ The movie Kaphal proves the same and more. Set in the snowcapped mountains of Garhwal, Kaphal – Wild Berries is an endearing tale about two kids, their troubled relation with their father whom they have never seen since birth and a mysterious old lady called Pagli Dadi (mad grandmother) who is rumoured to be a witch. Directed by Batul Mukhtiar, Kaphal which was screened at the 15th Mumbai Film Festival, scores high brownie points for its riveting storytelling and screenplay. The movie revolves around the life of two brothers Makar and Kamru who live with their mother in the hilly terrain of Rudraprayag in Uttarakhand. Their happy-go-lucky life takes a sudden turn when their father (played by Bengali actor Subrata Dutta) returns back to their village from city to live with them. The news of their father’s arrival makes the Makar and Kamru dance in delight. But their joy is short lived when they realize that their father is a strict disciplinarian who likes to rule with an iron fist. The brothers then decide to get rid of their father from their village with the help of Pagli Dadi. Will Makar and Kamru succeed in their planning? Or will their father learn how to love and win his sons back? You will have to watch the movie to know more. Kaphal as a movie delights you at many levels. Firstly, it is a simple tale, seeking to capture the sensual pleasures of childhood, with a glimpse of hard reality. Secondly, the emotions portrayed by all the kids are so real that not even once would you think that these kids are not trained actors. When we asked director Batul about the casting, she said, “I did a workshop with over 90 village children from various villages. These 90 kids were narrowed down to around 35 kids on the basis on the previous workshop. Further on a theatre workshop was conducted from where I selected my top five lead actors, Harish Rana (Makar), Pawan Negi (Kamru), Anuraj Negi (Bupi), Ajay Rana (Pusu) and Anjali Negi (Ghungra)” The real eye-popping moment came when Batul made a stunning revelation about the kids having never been to a theater to watch a movie. But all that is going to be a thing of the past soon as the kids have now been invited to the Children’s film festival to watch their movie on the giant screen. Says Amole Gupte, the Chairman CFSI, “The Kaphal kids have never been to a cinema hall before. They only had an access to a television set in their villages. For the first time they will see films on a big screen at the 18 Golden Elephant. We have invited them to the festival not only because they are the lead actors of Kaphal but also because we felt it was really important to provide them with a first-hand experience of what they deserve." Now this one’s going to be a really memorable event for the kids, we believe. Watching your debut movie in a movie theater for the very first time. How cool is that now!!!