Page 17 - Cine Appétit Issue 01
P. 17
Cine Appétit THE EASTERLY
PAGE 17
A BIRTHDAY CAKE AND A
SONG OF DESPAIR
B Y
A N I K E T R O Y
only a memorable birthday with his friends and
Movie : Chintu Ka Birthday
family, though fate has other plans for the
Cast : Vedant Chibber, Vinay Pathak, Tilottama
innocent boy. The film demonstrates the heart-
Shome, Bisha Chaturvedi, Seema Pahwa
breaking innocence through the framework
Writing and Direction : Devanshu Singh and
within the walls of the Tiwari family: their
Satyanshu Singh
optimism and their love for life in celebrating
Do we stand a chance against the gross Chintu’s sixth birthday amidst the deep political
peculiarities of war? Aren’t we all pawns in a unrest surrounding. Writer director duo
peculiar game? Well, Chintu Ka Birthday is Satyanshu Singh and Devanshu Singh set up a
one of the better films released in 2020 dozed minimalist stage capturing life in celebrating
with ample amount of emotions and drama. small joys and little happenings.
Set during the turbulent times of Saddam’s
fall and Iraq’s invasion by the US-led forces, The central story revolves round the character
the story is of an Indian immigrant family of Chintu and the celebration of his sixth
stuck in Baghdad due to dire circumstances. birthday. His father (played by Vinay Pathak), a
The action being confined to one house, the businessman of a Water-filter company holds
film never fails in contributing to portray the himself responsible for his family being stuck in
horrific imagery of a war and the vulgarity of Iraq for their illegal Nepali passports. Not being
a lost childhood under a despotic regime. able to return to India the family settle their
Chintu, a six-year-old boy (played by Vedant hopes towards the government of India, but the
Chibber) wants Indian government being
