Gattu Flies High at Berlinale

When little Gattu took on Kali,a powerful kite that dominates the skies in a quaint corner of Roorkee,Uttarakhand,little did he know that he would find support from film-goers in Berlin. On Sunday,Gattu,a film by Mumbai-based Rajan Khosa and produced by Children’s Film Society of India,won a Special Mention at the Berlin International Film Festival. “We felt the potential for life’s wonders could be seen in every child’s eye; and in particular,the boundless ingenuity of the young rascal was utterly compelling. We award this film for capturing the ironies,the complexities and the vitality of India,” reads the citation by the international jury.

Khosa is still celebrating. “What I did was to show India’s vitality and love,how street kids may not be educated,but that does not mean that they are not intelligent. The film also shows the harshness of reality without any judgment,” he says,adding,“The special mention will help the film reach a wider audience internationally.”

The film will be released nationwide in April/May,though the dates are yet to be finalised.