Stanley Ka Dabba Movie Review – A Simplistic Masterpiece

Posted by admin on May 14th, 2011 | 0 comments

Stanley ka Dabba is one of the finest films for children and adults alike, one has seen in the past last four years. After the beautiful Taare Zameen Par (2007) which was scripted by Amole Gupte, this person who is the go-to man for children’s films, has come up with a fantastic product, the result of one and half years at acting workshops that he held at a suburban Mumbai school.

Story:
Young Stanley (Partho) and his pals are enjoying their time in school, but for one qualm-the teachers ask them to share their tiffin. In fact, the kids are happy to share their food with Stanley because he regales them with interesting stories. Life becomes quite tough when the Hindi teacher (Amole Gupte) insists that Stanley should get his own tiffin box or stop coming to school. Will Stanley get his own tiffin box? Besides this, why does he not bring the dabba in the first place.?

What works for Stanley Ka Dabba:
Amole Gupta excels in getting his point across with a simple, cute story that touches your heart. His wife, Deepa Bhatia, who is also the co-producer and editor of the film, has woven the film so well that the movie likes a breath of fresh air. From the starting credits that hold your attention with stupendous animation to the fantastic performances and a refreshing finale, the movie is quite impressive.

What does not work for Stanley Ka Dabba:
There is nothing in the movie that has room for complaining. One only feels that the movie should have been better marketed and had a known face to endorse it in today’s time of ‘heavy visibility commanding maximum attention’. Hopefully, word of mouth publicity should take the movie far.

Performances in the film:
The loving English teacher Miss Rossy (Divya Dutta), the strict Science teacher Miss. Iyer (Divya Jagdale) are people you’d instantly relate to. Every child in the film makes its mark, quite telling of what a sound film-maker Amole Gupte he is. He had actually downplayed the fact that his son Partho was the main-lead in the film and had instead said that he was launching 170 children in the film. Partho’s innocence before the camera keeps you involved right till the end.

Conclusion:
Stanley ka Dabba is not just a movie, it is an experience – a look into your nostalgic past for the adults and a fun watch for the kids. Do not miss it.

Rating: ****1/2 (almost excellent)