Barf girao, papa lao! A heartmelting family drama – Beyond Bollywood

Director Vivek Anchalia and writer Animesh Verma have delicately woven an environmental message into their splendid family film, creating a narrative that feels like home. Amit Sial shines, but it’s the child actors Arisht Jain, Aarohi Saud who steal the show with their endearing performances.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 / 5)

By Mayur Lookhar

Few films manage to captivate viewers from their very first frame. It’s as if the camera ascends into the clouds, only to gracefully descend, revealing Sukhtal—a pseudonym for the picturesque hill town of Nainital, Uttarakhand. These heavenly images radiate with pure sukh (happiness). Animesh Verma (story) and director Vivek Anchalia hit the mark in naming it Sukhtal. Who could resist the allure of this blissful heaven? Ponders an ingenue voice.

Urbanites often fantasize about such landscapes. Meanwhile, the mountain dwellers are reluctant to depart, but economic hardships frequently force many to leave their hillside homes, families in pursuit of livelihoods in concrete jungles of the city.

Prakash (Amit Sial) is a humble native of Sukhtal, who has dedicated years of service at a local hotel owned by British expatriate Rose (Jennifer Piccinato). As tourist numbers dwindle, Rose is forced to make the difficult decision to close the hotel. She chooses to make the announcement on the hotel’s anniversary.

Rose is no insensitive boss. She offers Prakash an alternative job opportunity, but it’s in Mumbai. Though reluctant, the single father is aware that staying in Sukhtal won’t provide for his children and parents.

Samay [Arisht Jain] and his sweet little sister Cheeni [Aarohi Saud] though aren’t ready to let their father go. They devise a plan “Barf girao, papa lao” (Drop ice, bring papa) for the same. This is not the only tikdam (trick) they use to make their wishes come true.

Starting off as a simple family drama, Animesh Verma (story), writer Pankaj Nihalani (screenplay & dialogue) and director Vivek Anchalia cleverly weave in two vital causes – migration and environment – into their narrative.

We all aspire for change for our future generations. For decades, the noble efforts by adults haven’t quite pierced the minds of the world population at large. So, what better than to let the future generation take the reins in their hands. For a while, you sense that there is potentially a fable on the cards with Samay, Cheeni, and Bhanu (Divyansh Dwivedi) leaving no stone unturned in their ‘barf girao, papa lao’ movement. Anchalia, Pankaj Nihalani, though, don’t lose sight of pragmatism.

The efforts of the kids indirectly serve as an education for Sukhtal’s children while simultaneously helping to create awareness. Here’s Bhanu pleading with a logger to not cut a tree. The logger shoos him off. However, the kids have the last laugh as they tie religious cloth on each tree, thereby preventing the loggers from touching them any longer.

The environmental cause is championed by the kids in the most innocent ways, but does it conflict with the film’s anti-migration message? The region’s economy is heavily dependent upon tourism. If the Prakashs are to stay in Sukhtal, they need more tourists. However, more tourists naturally lead to more development, eventually putting a burden on the land, its resources, and increased possibility of environmental damage.  While the film doesn’t explicitly state it, every region requires the right balance between development and nature.

In an era where subsidies often come at the cost of compromises and alterations in the script, the climate cause and anti-migration themes don’t seem to deviate from the original idea. Therein lies the triumph for Animesh Verma and Vivek Anchalia.

The beauty of Uttarakhand speaks for itself, but it’s the people who truly matter. Anchalia and his protagonists are incredibly innocent and endearing. The theme of a single father is rarely explored in Bollywood, and Sial portrays the doting dad perfectly. Prakash is soft-spoken; the weight of professional stress has further subdued him. He doesn’t have much time to spend with his kids, but every night, he tucks them into bed, as they sleep together on a charpoy. There are few words exchanged between father and children, but there’s a deep bond here. Beneath that family story is also a subtle message that men too have the right to get emotional, which is so needed in this time of alpha males.

Sial’s naturally humble personality reflects the values that a Prakash stands for. Humility, grace, and loyalty—these idiosyncrasies are often more prevalent in villages and small towns than in cities.

A Prakash, however, may be too humble for a small-town guy. Consider this: the employees of the hotel are upset with the owner, Rose. The receptionist, Kalyani (played by Kalyani), receives a call from the boss to serve tea. She instructs the pantry staff. While the boss is still on the line, she mutters, “Chudhail chai mangva rahi hai” (The witch is ordering tea). The waiter refuses to serve her. Prakash doesn’t appreciate their slanderous remarks. The look on Kalyani’s face, her tone, and expression, is a pure delight. Prakash opts to serve the tea to the boss himself

Despite the hotel nearing its final days, Prakash never harbors any ill feelings toward his boss. However, he does begin searching for a new job. Honesty is his biggest asset, one that he isn’t willing to compromise. He approaches a lodge, where the manager isn’t pleased with his sincere attitude. All he hears is, “Everyone wants honest, innocent customers, not employees.” Jeez, that’s the bane of this world, and hence we call it Kaliyuga. The Prakashs might be few and far between, but it’s their unwavering honesty that makes them so likable and respected.

Tikdam rides on the tikdam (tricks) by the trio of Samay, Cheeni, and Bhanu. Anchalia and the casting team successfully find the right talent to portray the leading characters. What’s unique about this brother-sister bond is that only Samay understands the gibberish yet endearing words spoken by Cheeni; no one else in the family does. The duo begins as typical kids who are upset when their father and grandmother turn down their request for a school picnic. Young Samay also longs for flashy shoes, but their poor father can’t afford them. The frustrated children initially threaten hunger strike and then take vow of silence, but these efforts barely last a few seconds. You’ll appreciate how grandpa prompts Cheeni for a word starting with ‘A,’ and the little girl spits out some gibberish starting with that letter. The children even vow to run away from home, but the small-town setting makes it difficult to go far. They’re surprised when neither their father nor grandparents come looking for them. Cheeni accidentally overhears the truth about her struggling father’s plan to migrate to Mumbai for work. That’s when the stark fear of being separated from their father hits them.

While Samay, Cheeni, and Bhanu undertake measures that may seem beyond their years, they never lose their innocence. The curly-haired Arisht adeptly portrays the protective brother, showcasing a maturity that surpasses his years.

Little Aarohi captivates our hearts not only with her abundant cuteness but also with her joyful performance. Saud partly rekindles memories of a young Sarika in Masoom [1983]. It’s tough for a child to get a leading role and then be asked to speak in some weird language. However, little Aarohi seemed at ease, totally enjoying her character. We hope that the gibberish is no speech deficiency. It isn’t, because Tikdam is being narrated in the clear voice of Cheeni, now an adult.

Divyansh Dwivedi’s portrayal of Bhanu is characterized by an excessive amount of freedom. Some may find it off-putting, but young Bhanu’s crush on a school teacher adds its own charm to this narrative. Dwivedi, though, delivers a commendable performance.

Brazilian import Jennifer Piccinato makes a concerted effort to adopt a British accent and mannerisms. She performs commendably within her limited screen time. However, director Anchalia is partly mistaken in stereotyping Western parents as not being as emotionally connected with their children.

Tikdam is appreciated for its light-hearted music, which, while not poetic, remains relevant within the film’s context. Cinematographer Parth Sayani adeptly captures the natural beauty of the hill town, along with the endearing moments and expressions of the leading cast.

A simple story is elevated through such fine writing and astute direction, possibly reflecting personal experiences from both director Anchalia and writer Animesh Verma. Tikdam stands as a people’s film, and the performances of its leading cast contribute significantly to convincing viewers of the authenticity of this world and its underlying messages. And there’s no tikdam to this view.

Children’s films are few in Bollywood, and while global warming remains a significant challenge, Tikdam succeeds in warming hearts with its heartfelt narrative.

Watch the video review below.