'The Blue Umbrella' is a heart-warming adaptation of
the beloved novella of the same name by Ruskin Bond. It is a film
about desire, about the zealous attempt to fulfill it and finally
its conquest.
The story unfurls with the discovery of a vibrant blue umbrella
by Biniya (Shreya Sharma), an eleven-year-old girl from an idyllic
mountain village in North India. She has never seen anything more
striking and beautiful.
Neither has Nandkishore Khatri (Pankaj Kapoor). Nandkishore Khatri
runs a small tea stall in the village. He is a miserly old man
who has a fondness for pickles and swindling kids off their little
possessions. Nandkishore is smitten helplessly by the beauty of
the umbrella and goes to remarkable lengths to acquire the Blue
Umbrella but fails miserably. He has given up all hope and declares
that he will forsake it and move on? However Nandkishore is not
the only one to covet the umbrella. The umbrella's arrival disturbs
the tranquility and harmony of the village. Biniya's secret weapon
gives her an enviable power over the small town, as the umbrella
assumes mythical status.
One fine day the umbrella goes missing! The villagers are sympathetic
to her misery but are convinced that Biniya's carelessness has
resulted in the loss. Alone and betrayed Biniya decides to take
matters into her own hands. What follows is a journey of Biniya
and Nandkishore to a discovery, which is bitter sweet and wisdom
far beyond the Blue Umbrella. 'The Blue Umbrella' is a metaphorical
tale yet also contemporary. It questions the basic premise of
mankind's quest for superiority over others. It also raises pertinent
questions on the concept of material happiness and futility of
the whole process.
|