Most of the films that are made by Indian filmmakers feature a male protagonist. While there have also been some fine films like ‘Parineeta’, ‘Kahaani’, and the recently released ‘Mimi’ that were female-centric films, and which were received well by the audiences.
Besides these films, some films have also been made which had a child as the central character. In this article, we give you a list of five must-watch Indian films that featured a child protagonist.
Taare Zameen Par (Streaming on Netflix)
This one is Aamir Khan’s only directorial venture, and the film is certainly a special one. It follows an academically weak child (Darsheel Safary) who is sent to a boarding school. He meets a charismatic teacher (Aamir Khan), who gets to the root of the child’s actual problem and helps nurture his talents.
Anjali (Streaming on Zee5 & Eros Now)
When a woman (Revathi) learns that the supposedly stillborn child she gave birth to, is actually alive but mentally ill, she decides to bring the titular two-year-old girl home. How the family develops a unique bond with Anjali, forms the rest of the plot. The critically acclaimed film eventually won three National Film Awards. It’s one of the underappreciated gems directed by veteran filmmaker Mani Ratnam.
I Am Kalam (Streaming on Netflix & Amazon Prime Video)
The film is an inspiring tale that revolves around a poor boy who dreams of meeting the ex-President of India A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and touches upon the subject of the importance of education of impoverished children. The film was also a part of the Cannes Film Festival.
The Blue Umbrella (Streaming on Netflix)
The film is based on Ruskin Bond’s novel of the same name. The simple yet profound story follows a poor village girl’s effort to find her stolen blue umbrella. She suspects a restaurant owner (Pankaj Kapur) who had earlier made several attempts to buy the umbrella from her. Would she be able to find it?
Masoom (Streaming on Amazon Prime Video & Zee5)
This Shekhar Kapur’s directorial debut is an adeptly executed tale that revolves around the sensitive subject of infidelity. It follows the story of a child born out of wedlock and how he adjusts in his father’s family. It featured accomplished performers like Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Saeed Jaffrey, and Supriya Pathak. Jugal Hansraj essayed the titular character of the child and Urmila Matondkar played his elder stepsister.
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