I Am Kalam (2010) User Reviews

A movie which reminds me there are hopes still alive between humans

[saileshm25 · 9/10 · 7 April 2011]

Well the movie has something in it. It may start without a hope and continues as a normal routine but the way the child strives to fight his destiny with hope and hard work will never be calculated. People who recognize the talent and can do much to help this kid reminds us a current society we are living in. The child being truthful ready to take responsibility for his actions not neglecting his passion and hard work to get a hold on education reminded me of how unlucky most kids are in the third world countries this is not a lesson to kids but a realization for all the elders that he can be a successful person not materialistic wealth wise but he will achieve what he loves.

A small note : the letter which was addressed to Kalam in the climax was simple but full of words that can get through anyone.

A celebration of perseverance and friendship over odds and pitfalls

[bhaskar-bjha · 9/10 · 31 March 2011]

As I am talking about the film "I am Kalam", it simply reminds me of the lines which former president of India Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam wrote in his memorable book "Wings of fire":

"I am a well in this great land

Looking at its millions of boys and girls

To draw from me

The inexhaustible divinity

And spread His grace everywhere

As does the water drawn from the well."

And I think the director Nila Madhab Panda was superbly taken this valiant poetry forward by transpiring this into a inspirational plot. Offcourse he created a fable, a fairytale along the line of Prince and Pauper but the thread that keep this tale magical was this poetry. Before I give any actual review I must tell that this is really a great film not only for its message but also because it chooses a leader (who has proved ability to inspire) from new bright colorful India, beyond B&W eras of Gandhi and Nehru (though apart from Dr. Kalam, we really have long 64 years of drought of the leaders who we can count on). Every generation needs a leader to inspire its young people to put aside their sorrows and guilt and ascend towards where the sky is. This time its our beloved Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.

"I am Kalam" is a story of a two child one who is from 'havenot' class and other from 'have' class. Former is alive with his all innocence and aspires to become what he can not in normal circumstances. He has examples of Dr. Kalam and Lal Bahadur Shashtri to follow. Other is a Prince-with all the palace to wander, but is lonely. His heart too is innocent. So when they meet they simply bond with each other. They simply complement each other. And at the end they both write their own destiny. So how it is inspiring? It is where the spin of fairytale was yarned that shows the determination and perseverance of one side to acceptance and true friendship of other side.

The film is brilliant and optimistic. No doubt about it. But is this fun to watch? The answer is yes. The writer and director both has put a great effort to never slip in regression of darkness which is cliché in Indian Cinema esp for plot like this. So between those pivotal characters they splattered color, harmony and light so precisely that this film comes as worth watchable.

And this movie sends a clear message to all the people that as Panda said in an earlier interview:

"The idea of the film is to give a message that every child should go to school which is relevant to the right to education and that effort is more powerful than fate. It also urges the privileged masses to join the effort to educate the children and help them to dream and turn their dreams into breathing reality,"

and as writer Sanjay Chauhan said: "Every child has the right to live his childhood, childhood way."

As for the acting everyone does his/her job according to their role.

So for this Indo-French collaboration I will give 9/10.

"Fortune favors the brave and witty"

[sanatzope · 9/10 · 26 April 2011]

After seeing the movie it simply reminds us of awe-inspiring book "Ignited Minds".

It also reminds me of the famous quote "Fortune favor's the brave" and think that "brave and witty" should be added in it, as the movie clearly depicts that the imagination of a child cannot be kept under wraps by the mere present circumstances he is facing!!!

The direction of the movie and cast is brilliant, their is a real-life touch to the little love-story added. I think that the movie should be screened all over India and not only in tier-1,2,3 cities, as it is the rural population which could be maximum beneficiary. The foundations like "SMILE"," Against Child Labour " should be supported. The government should take initiative and support the film by promoting it in one of their child welfare programs.

The movie is simply awesome.

A small movie with a big heart

[soum21 · 10/10 · 3 August 2011]

I just attended the screening of the movie and I must confess that I was overwhelmed with emotions.

Debutant director, Nila Madhab Panda has woven a beautiful story with some heart touching moments which will bring a tear to your eyes. There are superb performances by veteran Indian actor Gulshan Grover, both the child protagonist (the child playing Kalam even won a National award for the role) along with Pitobash,and French theatre actress Beatric Ordeix as Lucy.

The story is about friendship, love, truthfulness self belief and dreams.

Shot in the beautiful and colorful Rajasthan, the movie realistically portrays the relationship between various communities and touches upon topics like child labor, caste, class and the value of education and friendship.

When the director introduced the movie before the screening, he said that the movie was made with very little budget but with a lot of passion, I must say that the passion was evident in each shot. the topic is so sensitive that it could have gone easily into the clichés, thankfully the director remained true to his believes and the final product is one of the masterpieces which have taken the Indian Cinema into a very different and exciting platform.

I would suggest that this movie should not be missed by anyone, especially by children.

Go and watch the movie, you won't regret it.

A heart warming eye opener to a poignant societal problem

[rangdetumpy · 21 December 2011]

India is considered as third world country and the reason is justified with over 70% population below the economic level. Whenever we move out in the open we tend to forcefully ignore the scenario. As passerby we observe little kid working in tea stalls to meet their day's meal. Rarely one bother to feel for him, his wish and needs. Even being ignored they tend to build their own world of dreams and live optimistically. This year two brilliant cinema dealt with those kids for whom the world hardly cares – "Stanley Ka dabba" and then this week release "I am Kalam". Both the films are very different in their execution but both sensitively dealt with the issue of Child labor, a poignant problem of his otherwise "prosperous" nation. It also reflects that the young generation is more responsible and sensible than the orthodox old ones and they have the power to build the nation through their liberal views.

The film directed by Nila Madhab Panda straightaway comes to the point without beating around the bushes. It introduces Chotu (one of the best child performances in recent times by national award winner Harsh Mayar) who comes with his single mother to the town to earn for living. While on the way the bright eyes of Chotu stares earnestly at the school bus and the uniformed kids.It seemed the whole audience in the theater desperately wanted to see his dream fulfilled. His mother left him in arms of his distant Bhatti Mamosa meaning uncle (a superlative performance by Gulshan Grover) who owns a tea-stall and serves tea to the nearby Haveli (King's palace) and the surrounding hotels where the foreign tourists are lodged. Chotu remains true to his claims picks it up instantly whatever he see, be it making world class tea or understanding the small nuances which are liked by the foreign tourists. Sooner he becomes the blue eyed boy for Mamosa and the foreign tourists.So much so that the filmy bug Laptan (worth mentioning performance by Pitobash) who is the other assistant in Bhatti's shop started becoming jealous of him. Amidst all this Chotu become friends with Kumar Sahab, the prince of the haveli. Chotu also aspires to become like President Kalam and thus starts the heartwarming journey of education and friendship. Even he calls himself Kalam and copied Dr Kalam's hairstyle.

Already the film has received national and international awards and acclaims before hitting the silver screen. Indeed the film rightly deserves the accolades it is receiving. Debutant director Nila Madhab Panda knows his craft and with co-writer Sanjay Chauhan they created magic on screen. The character of Chotu aka Kalam is written with utmost sensibilities. The way his intelligence is gradually depicted is noteworthy. It is not only a tale about education but also about friendship and changing mindset. The director first created an invisible mirror to showcase some stark contradiction in the society by the way he depicted the scenes of Chotu and Kumar Sahab. Chotu trying to read under the street lights while Kumar Sahab is at his luxurious best. The contradiction is depicted and it ends there only. The rest is a heart warming tale of two young bright boys who are mutually exchanging education in their own ways. While Chotu is teaching Kumar Sahab Hindi the same is happening other way round and thus build a strong bond of trust. The writers carefully tried to capture the changing mindset of young generation and the stagnating mindset of the older one as the king plays chess leisurely and talks about "time" flowing by. While on one hand the king believes in kismet (destiny) the Kumar (prince) rightly retaliates by pointing that "karma" (deed) is bigger and thereby showing the liberal new generation. The way Kumar goes against his father's orders by becoming friends with a low caste guy it shows the strength of his character. And similarly for Chotu who didn't befriend Kumar as he saves him in the pre-climax. Without telling the climax the directors successfully portrayed the need for changing mindset which will change the future generation. Harsh Mayar as Chotu or Kalam is a spontaneous performer and was given a deserving national award for his realistic performance. He is one of the best child actors in the business. His performance was so earnest that every audience in the theater stood for a standing ovation as the end credit roles. Gulshan Grover sheds his bad man image and molded himself with ease as he plays the kind hearted Bhatti. French actress Beatrice Ordeix did a splendid job as Lucy, the benevolent tourist who feels for Chotu. Pitobash (after his marvelous performance in Shor in the City) excels in the role of Laptan.The jealousy within him was reflected in each expression of his. Hussan Saad is also talented and quiet confidently plays the role of Kumar Ranvijay. The supporting castes with less known faces gave commendable performances. Technically speaking the landscape of Rajasthan is captured with picturesque perfection by Mohan Krishna whose debut in Ishqiya was also worth mentioning. Prashant Naik craftsmanship as editor needs mention for his flawless juxtaposition of frames. Music composer Abhishek Ray did his job well whose music had the local flavor in it. There is a sequence where different person starts playing different instruments with a mellifluous amalgamation of music of both east and west. On the whole I Am Kalam is a fine piece of art which has its heart and soul in the right place. SMILE foundation needs to be applauded for producing this film and taking the issue to an elevated level. With changing mindset of people one hopes more will contribute to child education thus witnessing a far more developed India in coming years. Hope movies like I am Kalam will change the mindset of those audiences who are watching it and they would eagerly take the cause forward. Cheers to whole team of I Am Kalam.

Charming, poignant, and worthwhile.

[jcarlzak-1 · 10/10 · 21 June 2011]

Tonight, I attended a screening of I AM KALAM, starring Gulshan Grover, along with a superb cast. It is a charming story that speaks to the truth that one's life is guided much more by one's actions than by a predetermined destiny...The main setting, at a roadside snack stand near Delhi is, at once, mundane and exotic, as the workers and foreign visitors interact on a daily basis. And, glimpses inside the private quarters of a royal family are nothing less than eye candy for viewers.

The meat of the story derives from the delightful performances of Mr. Grover and the charming young actor who plays Kalam with fearless truthfulness. Even Laxmi, the camel, draws us in with her gentle ways.

As of this writing, the film lacks a US distribution company...some smart executive should pick it up and get it to American audiences!

One of the best movies to date!

[mindblogg · 10/10 · 6 August 2011]

This is one of the best movies I have seen so far. So simple, yet so touching.

It inspired me to think of our people, of our great country and our incredible culture (as depicted in the Rajasthani styles). Need me to say that the Rajasthani setting was just apt and everything was sown in very creatively.

I hope this movie sets the trend for many more such movies. It is worth every penny and every second of yours.

It brings me to think of the state of millions of children out there who have so much of aspirations but not the means.

I wish the government officials (all of them) see this movie and get inspired by it.

A rare treat in Bollywood.

[manendra-lodhi · 9/10 · 25 July 2012]

Now here we have a film which helps to maintain faith in Bollywood. Clearly the strongest part of the film is its script. After completing it I was wondering whether it was meant for a short film and then converted in to a feature film. It employed a lot of elements in between which made me think so, but they were so nicely placed that I did not even for a moment think of their significance while viewing. The story seemed to flow very smoothly all the time.

However I did notice some plot holes but they don't matter much when we are given films like cocktail in present day bollywood. Apart from the screenplay what made the film great to watch was the acting of KALAM alias chhotu. His acting always looked real, mature and at par with other actors. The film explores sentiments in a new direction with a very soothing atmosphere all the time. The ending is incredible and couldn't have been better. Clearly the director wants to take Indian cinema to greater heights and it can be achieved by making strong screenplays or at least by films based on a subject matter other than Love and Romance. Looking forward for more films like this.

MESSAGE: "Believe in working rather than destiny."

VERDICT: "A must watch for all the Indian Viewers at least."

A simple tale that makes its point effectively

[ssvikas · 7/10 · 9 August 2011]

This week's release, 'I am Kalam' has already bagged accolades at some international film festivals. It may not be far from the truth that Western audiences have an eye for movies portraying poverty in the less developed world. But, this film is different since its director Nila Madhab Panda keeps the story focused on the tale of a poor boy's will to change his destiny rather than to dunk the story into predictable emotional trappings.

Chhotu is a young Rajasthani village boy whose poor family needs him to earn a living by working at a roadside dhaba run by Bhati (Gulshan Grover). Amidst a life of dish-washing and sundry chores, Chhotu impresses Bhati with his learning skills and wins the hearts of the dhaba's multi-ethnic patrons with his language skills.

Across the street, he spots a boy sporting a crisp tie; it turns out to be the son of an erstwhile local ruler. Chhotu's aspirations start to take shape. He wants to study, wear a tie and be successful. One day, he hears a televised address by Dr Kalam and is inspired by his story of hard work and promptly renames himself after his role model.

The movie becomes worthwhile thanks to its child stars Harsh Mayar as Chhotu and Hussan Saad as Ranvijay. The portrayal of the boys disregarding the class barrier and becoming good friends feels realistic. Here, writing too deserves credit as one doesn't see over-smart kids with wisecracks, usually seen in movies starring kids.

The film also offers food for thought. There is a time in the movie when Bhati implores Chhotu not to fight with destiny, to which the boy retorts saying that he believes in his work over destiny! Although poor, the protagonist doesn't envy the rich kid's wealth; a contrast to this is portrayed in the talentless Laptan who envies Chhotu.

Among the supporting cast, Gulshan Grover is endearing as the dhaba owner who speaks broken English and Pitobash who impressed audiences as 'Mandook' in 'Shor in the City' gives the film its comic moments as he plays Laptan, the dhaba helper who thinks no less of himself than a Bollywood star. A French actress Beatrice Ordeix plays Lucie, a westerner who has made India her home and offers hope to Chhotu.

The film is not without shortcomings and they hit a low in an unrealistic scene where some of its characters are seen searching the megalopolis of Delhi for one missing scrawny kid. Also, the cinematography could have been much better.

'I am Kalam' seems like a story told in world cinema in many different versions. Still, it has has enough to keep viewers engaged and impresses with its simple storytelling.

Dreams are awesome, they are magical and they turn true :)

[nskanyal · 9/10 · 3 August 2014]

Celebrate the power of dreams, celebrate the power of friendship and innocence, and celebrate the inherent goodness of human beings. Such a simple story, yet so powerful, that you feel yourself being lot of characters at the same time. Is the destiny pre-decided or is it that we make our destiny? I don't know, but I have always wanted to believe that its the latter. But either way, nobody stops you to dream or even try to fulfill those dreams.

Both the kids are amazing - Harsh Mayar playing Chhotu/Kalam is a naturally curious, street smart and a gifted kid. He doesn't care about his background and still wants to make big in life, and has his plans how to get there. Hussan Saad, playing the little royal price - he is a lonely kid with no friends of his age, lives a protected and privileged life, and is at loss to understand why others can't lead a similar life. I especially like when the young price imposes his royalty - like when he thunders on Laptan "how dare you call my friend a thief". Both the kids are so naturally comfortable in each others presence and consider each other as equals - that's the innocence till you are kids and is lost so fast when you grow up. Gulshan Grover is very good, with his teenage like crush and broken heart for that french traveler (who herself is pretty good). In a way, we have everything in this movie to complete the story - main character Chhotu/Kalam, supporting actor Kunver Ranvijay Singh, villain Laptan, and all other supporting cast.

My sincere thanks to the makers of this movie, I absolutely loved it.

Good to watch

[aniketvnagapure · 7/10 · 17 October 2019]

I am Kalam will take you on a journey of a boy. yes the journey is worth the time.

awesome movie!!!

[sharmagaurav_78 · 10/10 · 12 January 2015]

This the best movie I have seen in a long time. Beautiful story, execution, short and perfect. I love this kind of cinema so I find this movie excellent. This movie has the message and after watching it you will get to know that its not a timepass movies our bollywood loves to make. Real problems and their solutions. These movies make Indian cinema proud. Go for it. You will find your time used for better kind of cinema. Kudos to the movie team for making a excellent product. I promise everyone will love it. Keep making this sort of movies. Bollywood might be known for these movies not big budget foolishness. The irony is that these movies are not even released properly and because of that they don't get the audience they deserve. Go for it I promise you will love it.

Beautiful Story, Inspirational.

[yasubmj · 7/10 · 8 November 2018]

I am Kalam, follows the story of a boy - living in poverty, having to work at a dhaba to make ends meet and support his mother. But this is no ordinary boy. He is brilliant and ambitious. He cannot go to school due to his limited means, but that does not stop him from dreaming big and continuously working towards that dream. His passion further fuelled by a speech of then-Indian-president, Abdul Kalam. How the entire world around him comes together to get him there, is what the film is about. Shot in picturesque Rajasthan and with a strong support cast in Gulshan Grover, I am Kalam is a movie that inspires. Do watch.

Make it go away

[TheLazyTiger · 2/10 · 18 July 2019]

Horrific storytelling. Horrific Acting. Just plain horrible. Bollywood has some great movies. This is one to skip.

Go To School

[Chrysanthepop · 24 January 2012]

Nila Madhab Panda's 'I Am Kalam' tells the inspiring tale of an impoverished boy, Kalam, forced by circumstances, to work at a local tea shop owned by Bhatti. Kalam looks at life with a pinch of salt and optimism. He's a fast learner and befriends the customers. His dream is to wear a school uniform and tie and go to school. This dream seems to come close to becoming true when he befriends a young prince but trouble soon follows Kalam.

'I Am Kalam' has both a fairy tale feel and a feel of realness. It is the director's splendid fusion of the two that makes this little film a magical experience. The direction, the score and Sanjay Chauhan's writing are quite simple yet sincere and the story is very easy to relate to. It also has a very lyrical feel to it. The score is mostly a combination of simple sound created with simple instruments (with the exception of the traditional Rajasthani song that takes place in the palace) but it's mesmerizing and among the best I've heard in recent times. The cinematography effectively captures the beauty of Rajathan and the art direction is pleasantly colourful and authentic.

The performances are outstanding. Gulshan Grover delivers one of his finest to date. The rest of the supporting performances by Pitobash, Beatrice Ordeix and especially Hussan Saad are excellent. However, where acting is concerned, the most outstanding performance comes from Harsh Mayar. Extracting a good performance from a child couldn't have been easy but Panda has done it and Mayar delivers one of the most natural performances on screen.

'I Am Kalam' is light and optimistic. It carries the simple message that every single child must be educated and deserves the right to live like a child. The film never preaches this but merely demonstrates it through the story. There is not a single melodramatic moment for it is evident that 'I Am Kalam' comes straight from the heart. Simple, Sincere, Uplifting, Inspiring and Spellbinding are at least five words to describe this precious little gem.

A beautiful movie

[niteshkrsrivastava · 8/10 · 28 September 2019]

A short, simple and beautiful movie, which will leave you motivated and smiling. No unwanted drama, all the characters performed well.

How can I rate this sweet movie with stars.. I wish emotions after watching this could also be rated

[kushalchougule · 10/10 · 23 May 2021]

Kalam to Kuvar (his Royal friend) :- " tu bada ho jayega to humare jaise gareeb bachho keliye school bana " This struck me hard.. (I have do something for this..) The amount faith he have on Kalam sir's words is far beyond anything.. Kalam sir was religion for him.. I learned one thing from this movie.. if you want to be great in life just follow one greatest person in that field diehardly.. make him your religion..

A heart-touching movie, a real gem.

[mealoktrivedi · 10/10 · 23 March 2021]

This movie is a real gem, full of emotions. I watched this movie twice, once in 2011 and now again in 2021 and this movie created same impact on me even after 10 years. Both times, I could not resist my mind from thinking only about the plot and characters of this movie at-least for 48 hours. Excellent acting by all characters who narrated the situations just like real life. It's very rare I come to IMDB to rate any movie but this time I could not resist myself from doing so. This movie can make anyone emotional and I'm sure no superstar of indian cinema can beat the acting of the boy who played the character of Kalam/Chhotu. Sadly, this kind of movie never gets much attention in India as majority of people likes the commercial junk created by Khans and Kapoors in Bollywood. At last, I can conclude that the movie 'I am Kalam' is the finest piece of art, heart-touching and full of emotions. The smiling face of Chhotu/Kalam remained in front of my eyes at-least for one week whenever I watched this movie.

A child's perspective meets with the inspiration he deserved

[ridi-arahan · 9/10 · 26 May 2020]

I watched the movie without any expectations and I was pleasantly surprised. What worked:

• beautiful screenplay and storytelling
• authentic location and mood of the movie
• story told through the eye of a kid usually works and it's one of them

What did not work:

• some melodramatic scenes could have been taken away, but still with the short run time of the movie, it's generously acceptable.

Final verdict: Highly recommended. Maybe it's one of the very few movies after Taare Zamin Par that stands to tell the story of time and society it belongs.

Almost great, but not great

[AnonymousbutDilpreet002 · 7/10 · 11 May 2020]

I am Kalam is a good film. It has excellent performances, beautiful locations, believable characters and a lot of simplicity. The last word, simplicity is key word here. It's a warm, tender and cute story, not a fairytale though.

The narrative is fast paced, things keep happening without striking an emotion(not in a bad way). There was a one sided love story of Bhati(Gulshan Grover) which did not add anything to the storyline. I found the character of Laptan(Pitobash) unrealistic here, it is one dimensional, plain and reminds me of jealous villians in Bollywood films. And unlike others, I don't think Pitobash did any justice to it.

The ending is a hard to believe. In a city like Delhi, it's impossible to find a lost child.

Though I can understand the theme of the film(which does not necessarily give a message), and appreciate everyone everyone's efforts, I just have to say it's not hard hitting. But, a sweet little film, nonetheless

Wow, What a presentation

[saikumar-munagala · 9/10 · 30 December 2021]

Thank you so much for inspiring me..

It really touched my heat. I will try to sponsor for one student in near future, I will work to increase my financial status and help one needy child.

Thanks again for the wonderful film. 😊🙏🏻

Superb

[silvan-desouza · 7/10 · 9 November 2014]

I am Kalam is one of those offbeat films in India which won a lot of laurels despite not having a big starcast or anything. The film is a story of a poor boy who is inspired by the life of former President Abdul Kalam. The film is well handled with dulops of humour too to make people laugh, the film moves you throughout.

Direction is awesome Music is okay

Gulshan Grover gets a meaty role and sinks his teeth into it, he is admirable, showing he has more talent then doing bad man roles Harsh Mayar is outstanding in his role, waiting to see more from him Hussan Saad is also good as the prince Pitobash is superb in his role which has grey shades rest are all good

Heartwarming movie that deserves more exposure

[hirunimanthila-51482 · 10/10 · 17 October 2020]

I had never heard of this movie before but I wish I had. It's just beautiful. Seeing it in 2020 made my year better

Optimistic, not Realistic

[anikarodela · 7/10 · 28 April 2021]

The intension was pretty solid but the movie lost it's plot in some small details. For example when Kalam was writting the essay for Ranvijay, he was continuously tearing the pages apart which from a poor kid's point of view. That's a fortunate reflex only rich people can afford. The main characters did pretty solid job on acting but unfortunately the supporting roles disappointed.

Overall, it was a good watch with great morale value but from Cinematic POV it was sub-par.

Seen the movie seeing the rating. Disappointed by its directing and poor acting and dialogue delivery. Movie sucks.

[jitheshsmi · 1/10 · 15 June 2021]

I used to watch slow or good movies. But Seen the movie by seeing the imdb rating. Disappointed by its directing and poor acting and dialogue delivery. Movie sucks.