Very rarely we see a mainstream bollywood movie that is completely written with the main plot of school students or childhood days and the transformation of thought that a growing school boy goes through. This cannot be called as a nostalgic school story but it's basically a dark side story of a boy. This is Gulzar's classic.
We all have gone through dark thoughts during school days, and this movie depicts just that. It's the story of Babla(Raju Shrestha) and the thought that he has, dark and complex. He along with his friend Tito, indulge in various road side activities and doesn't want to go to school but want to read and grow old. The story is completely written from Babla's view. It's as if not Gulzar but Babla narrating us the whole story.
It's not that simple to make this kind of story and the complex emotional thing going on in Babla's mind. There's also a complex parallel story going on of Babla's sister Komal(Vidya Sinha) and his husband Nikhil(Uttam Kumar).
When Babla flees from home to avoid punishment, he meets several different characters on train. One such character is that of Shree Ram Lagooo, which according to me left such a strong impact in a short role which can be called as a guest apppearance.
This is purely Gulzar's movie and the way he has handled the story is the work of pure genius. It's not an easy or a regular drama to direct or make. This requires strong conviction and thinking.
Performance wise Raju Shrestha excels in Babla's role. There is that innocence and mischief on his face that is a treat to watch. Even the dileama and his complex thinking reflects on his face. Uttam Kumar as Nikhil is just brilliant and is pretty convincing. Vidya Sinha does his part well.
All in all this is a classic gem which should be watched by everyone, especially the parents.
