Foto (2007)

Language: Hindi
Starring: Arjun Jaykrishna, Naseeruddin Shah, Tom Alter
Director: Virendra Saini

Foto, an introverted 11-year-old boy, prefers to dwell in his world of imagination. When a film crew arrives in town, Foto’s creativity takes wings.

In her now legendary TED talk, The Power of Introverts, Susan Cain speaks about the dominant culture predisposed to undervalue introverts. Our principal establishments like offices, educational and religious institutions are designed for extroverts. Cain recalled her time at a school summer camp where her not being chatty and outgoing was considered NOT okay. Introversion is often misconstrued as a personality disorder, and introverts are made to feel inadequate and prompted to come out of their shells.

In Virendra Saini’s Foto, the eponymous character (Krishna) is a soft-spoken, reserved boy with a vivid imagination, who struggles with studies and at making friends. Amidst  admonitions and snickers, the young boy finds encouragement from his mother, Shefali (played graciously by Geeta Agarwal Sharma), who has the prudence to identify his creativity. In fact, she names her boy so for his penchant for imagery.

Saini had greatly emphasized support and positive reinforcement as the essentials of good parenting in his maiden venture Kabhi Paas, Kabhi Fail (1999). Foto, his sophomore outing, too, reiterates it. In the film, when Foto’s teachers raise concern about something being “wrong” with him, Shefali shuts down the discussion politely. Instead she has an interesting conversation with her son about his ideas and suggests a pragmatic way to channel his thoughts.

When a film crew arrives in his town for a shoot, Foto’s imagination finds a footing. He is dazzled by the world of props, colors, sets, sound and music, and the miracle workers who make it thunder and rain in a jiffy.

Armed with a copy of  David Robinson’s The History of World Cinema and guidance from his ‘magician’ friend, Foto learns about cinema history, landmark films, and the various aspects of filmmaking. Foto’s flight of fantasy is often disrupted by a skeptic from the Imagination Detection & Prevention Squad, but the young learner chugs along.

As the shy, inventive Foto, Arjun Jaykrishna is a natural. The twinkle in his eyes and sweet-sounding voice reminds me of the adorable Jugal Hansraj. Interestingly, Foto’s magician friend here is played by Naseeruddin Shah. Ambling around in the idyllic Ranikhet, his delightful conversations with Arjun are strangely reminiscent of the ones in Masoom (1983). The warmth and charming effortlessness Shah brings to his unnamed character is a reminder of the gifted actor he is. The film is also peppered with cameos from several familiar faces with a special mention to theatre veteran Uday Chandra playing the skeptic.

Foto gives a dreamy and whimsical aura to the arduous process of filmmaking and in doing so tips its hat to cinema pioneers who dared to create the magical world of motion picture. The film’s wholehearted admiration for the craft and conviction needed to pursue it would resonate with anyone who has a love affair with the movies.

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Awards

National Film Award for Best Children’s Film (Year 2007)

Watch: Foto