''Baaja'' (Mouth Organ; ) is a 2002

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

n Hindi film directed by Apurba Kishore Bir.

Synopsis

A free and compassionate human spirit is trapped in Shibu, an eleven-year-old boy. In order to guide Shibu's wandering energy on a constructive path, his widow mother sends him to the city from the village with his uncle. But Shibu's carefree approach to life and his energetic response to reality make him a subject of annoyance to the neighbour as well as his own aunt. This forces his uncle to be strict with him, and he takes him along to his shoe shop in order to keep a watch on him while studying. But the situation leads Shibu on a different track. Being asked by the uncle to carry a pair of shoes to a doctor's residence, Shibu ventures across the streets and lanes in his casual and carefree manner while encountering some stray incidents. But then something very sudden and unpredictable happens, which invites him to show his true potential and real merit to surprise the adults, effected by his indifferent attitude.

Cast

* Yakub Shaikhl *Ram Awana as shibu's uncle * Roni Bhatt * Saroj Bhagwar * Manisha Rajpal * Chitra Pandey

Crew

*Director/Script : Apurba Kishore Bir *Story & Screenplay: Apurba Kishore Bir *Cinematography : Apurba Kishore Bir *Music : Bhavdeep Jaipurwale *Editing : Aseem Sinha *Dialogue : Hubnath Pandey *Sound : Nihar Ranjan Samel

Awards & Participation

National Film Awards The National Film Awards are awards for artistic and technical merit given for "Excellence within the Cinema of India, Indian film industry". Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India ...

2003 (Best Children Film)

Music

Bhavdeep Jaipurwale arranged the music for this film.

Review

A. K. Bir too has a child

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...

in Baaja. Shibu is brought from the village to the town to be better educated. The boy's encounters and adventures on the streets bring out his savvy nature and concern for others; they also give him a better understanding of values. Shibu gives first aid to a grandma who has been cudgelled by a thief, minds the wailing baby, finds a doctor, and recovers the stolen gold chain. Since Bir is unable to decide whether to opt for realism or the fairy tale mode, the film hangs uneasily between the two genres.

References

External links

*
''Interview of'' 'A.K.Birin www.filmnirvana.com''
{{National Film Award Best Children's Film 2002 films 2000s Indian films Indian children's films 2000s Hindi-language films Best Children's Film National Film Award winners 2000s children's films Films directed by Apurba Kishore Bir