Review: THE SCHOOL BAG at The View, Andheri, Mumbai

It's a heart-rending tale told with a lot of finesse and skillful storytelling. A 15-minute short film titled The School Bag directed by Dheeraj Jindal and produced by Large Short Films, has been deservedly gaining a lot of appreciation and awards around the globe.

The School Bag is a story of a young boy based in Peshawar, Pakistan that delves into the beautiful relationship between a mother and a son. The film masterfully depicting the beautiful bond reaches into a more sensitive topic and proceeds to talk about the gruesome attack at The Army Public School in Peshawar. One of the most heinous attacks of the recent times told through the medium of this story gives us a shocking jolt on where we may be heading as a society. It talks about the collective pain of the world felt at this cowardly act and why we must strive together to bring peace and love in the world.

The film starring Rasika Dugal and child protagonist Sartaaj RK, Tisca Chopra, Kabir Bedi, Gulshan Devaiah, Jyoti Kapur Das, Gautam Rode, Mallika Dua, Raghav Chanana and Parul Gulati also beautifully depicts the tender moments that form the crux of a mother and child and what a mother goes through every day when she brings about a child.

The beautiful narrative packs in the story of a 7-year-old who wants a new school bag and how life unfurls into many surprizes. The film is a must-watch for its seamless integration of an uncomfortable truth and how the feeling of loss, pain and dejection are universal.

Talking about the journey while making the film Dheeraj Jindal says - "It wasn't easy to make a film which is based in Pakistan when you have to shoot in India. Working on a shoestring budget is always a challenge. But the kind of environment and location we were looking for was not available around. After two months of location recce, we found a village in Bulandsheher where years back migrants from Peshawar had shifted. From the production design to the music, we have tried to achieve the local flavour of Pakistan".

1. School Bag has screened worldwide including USA, England, Canada, Mexico, Ireland, Romania, India, Spain, Bermuda, Italy, Bangladesh, Colombia, Germany, Iran, Pakistan, Puerto Rico and Turkey. The film has won 22 awards in total as of now across the globe. Out of which 8 awards in best film category, Rasika won 4 awards in the category of Best Actor. Sartaaj RK won 2 awards for the best child actor and the film also grabbed many other technical awards in different categories.

The film was screened on 13th June at The View, Andheri (W) Mumbai

Youtube Link : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oZOOKFTKpE&t=7s

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