Bhubaneswar, Nov. 18: Kids of the state capital enjoyed a gala time last week as the children’s film festival, Bioscope, offered them a treat of five movies.
On the inaugural day, it was Shibu, the protagonist of the film, Baja, who stole the hearts of the children. They enjoyed his acts of rescuing an old lady. Renowned Odia film personality A.K. Bir directed the film.
Next in line was I am Kalam, directed by Nila Madhab Panda. The director also attended the screening and interacted with the kids. He answered their queries about the character, Chottu, who is inspired by former Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and wishes to be like him someday.
Another movie screened was Heda Hoda. Directed by Vinod Ganatra, Heda Hoda is set in Bhuj in Gujarat and features a boy’s plight in dealing with bureaucratic tangles between India and Pakistan, when three of his camels cross the border.
Wrong Mauritius, directed by Raghuvir Kulkarni, narrates the adventures of a young lad, Bipin, and his friends Viju and Mona, who embark on a mystery revolving around a rare stamp.
The last film screened at the festival was Sixer, directed by Gul Bahar Singh. The film revolves around cricket and teaches children to keep personal differences aside for a bigger cause.
Children from private and public schools attended the screenings in large numbers. There were also rounds of quiz, where the hosts tested the kids’ general knowledge and doled out gift hampers to those who answered correctly.
“Even with so many 24-hour channels, we hardly see quality content aimed for children. A festival like this tries to screen films, which are clean and educational in content. These films inculcate moral lessons along with providing entertainment,” said Sruti Mohapatra, chief executive of Swabhiman, a city-based organisation, which took the initiative to screen the movies based on children.
The festival was organised in partnership with the Children’s Film Society, India (CFSI), Mumbai, department of state culture and tourism and the department of school and mass education.
It concluded on Wednesday.
