Like the official synopsis states, this IS a contemporary, Indian version of Hansel and Gretel. But in an attempt to balance its story between realism and fable, the narrative mostly edges on fable.
Pahuna follows the story of two children; sister-brother, Amrita and Pranay. Forced out of their village in a Nepali district, the two young protagonists of the film get separated from their parents while carrying the responsibility to care for their baby brother. They flee to a distant town with some of their other relatives. In a frightening fireside story instigated by one of their uncles about the Priests of the town, Pranay ends up believing that the Christian followers (who were actually going to shelter and assist the refugees) would end up eating the little children and their baby brother. As strange as this sounds, this reason was enough for the children to vanish with their baby brother from the group.
The fairy-tale part starts here, as the two very young kids, actually manage to survive by sheltering themselves in an abandoned bus in the woods. Apparently, their survival skills seem to surpass that of adults as there was not really any conflict or difficulty that they couldn't get past. The two somehow manage to care for their own selves and needs and also of their baby brother.
I liked the portrayal and the arc of the priest and how the makers of Pahuna made the priest benign, mysterious yet menacing at the same time from the perspectives of the children. It almost felt like the portrayal of "keys" in E.T. Even the subtle close up shots whenever he is walking through the woods, felt so similar to the subtle hints and build-ups in the Hollywood masterpiece.
Overall, Pahuna is light-hearted, happy ending family drama, that follows too many traits from Bollywood including the song and dance (in the end credits). There is really no intensity throughout the film and I guess the director wanted this "softness" to draw away the darker parts of reality from life in those Indian districts. A much more realistic approach would have made this a fantastic drama but on the surface, Pahuna really is a kid-friendly Indian contemporary fairy tale.
Pahuna follows the story of two children; sister-brother, Amrita and Pranay. Forced out of their village in a Nepali district, the two young protagonists of the film get separated from their parents while carrying the responsibility to care for their baby brother. They flee to a distant town with some of their other relatives. In a frightening fireside story instigated by one of their uncles about the Priests of the town, Pranay ends up believing that the Christian followers (who were actually going to shelter and assist the refugees) would end up eating the little children and their baby brother. As strange as this sounds, this reason was enough for the children to vanish with their baby brother from the group.
The fairy-tale part starts here, as the two very young kids, actually manage to survive by sheltering themselves in an abandoned bus in the woods. Apparently, their survival skills seem to surpass that of adults as there was not really any conflict or difficulty that they couldn't get past. The two somehow manage to care for their own selves and needs and also of their baby brother.
I liked the portrayal and the arc of the priest and how the makers of Pahuna made the priest benign, mysterious yet menacing at the same time from the perspectives of the children. It almost felt like the portrayal of "keys" in E.T. Even the subtle close up shots whenever he is walking through the woods, felt so similar to the subtle hints and build-ups in the Hollywood masterpiece.
Overall, Pahuna is light-hearted, happy ending family drama, that follows too many traits from Bollywood including the song and dance (in the end credits). There is really no intensity throughout the film and I guess the director wanted this "softness" to draw away the darker parts of reality from life in those Indian districts. A much more realistic approach would have made this a fantastic drama but on the surface, Pahuna really is a kid-friendly Indian contemporary fairy tale.
