A
fable
rarely
gets
its
cinematic
interpretation
in
Bollywood.
But
acclaimed
cinematographer
Santosh
Sivan
decides
to
do
so
for
his
new
outing
Tahaan.
Tahaan
is
a
soothing
experience.
Also,
amidst
the
story
of
a
child's
obsession
for
his
pet
donkey,
it
also
opens
your
eyes
to
the
fact
that
children
can
be
soft
targets
for
carrying
out
nefarious
activities.
Agreed,
a
film
like
Tahaan
caters
to
a
niche
audience.
But
its
simplicity
is
its
USP.
There's
another
reason
to
go
for
it:
Child
artiste
Purav.
You
can't
take
your
eyes
off
from
this
sensational
discovery
of
Sivan.
Tahaan
[Purav
Bhandara]
lives
with
his
grandfather
[Victor
Banerjee],
his
mother
[Sarika]
and
older
sister
[Sana
Shaikh]
in
the
serene
meadows
of
Kashmir.
They
all
live
in
the
hope
that
someday
Tahaan's
father,
who's
been
missing
for
over
three
years,
will
return.
The
death
of
his
grandfather
prompts
the
local
moneylender
[Rahul
Khanna]
to
take
away
the
assets
of
the
family,
including
their
pet
donkey
Birbal.
For
Tahaan,
bringing
his
favourite
donkey
Birbal
back
home
becomes
the
sole
purpose
in
life.
Tahaan
is
devastated
to
learn
that
an
old
man,
Subhan
[Anupam
Kher],
has
bought
Birbal
and
taken
him
across
the
mountains.
He
traces
Subhan
and
tells
him
about
Birbal.
Subhan
doesn't
befriend
Tahaan
at
first
sight,
but
slowly
warms
up
to
this
energetic
and
determined
soul
whose
love
for
Birbal
is
paramount.
On
his
way
back
home,
Tahaan
encounters
a
teenage
lad
ldrees,
who
convinces
him
that
his
efforts
would
never
be
sufficient
to
get
Birbal
back.
Instead,
he
promises
to
get
Birbal
back
for
a
favour.
All
Tahaan
will
have
to
do
is
carry
a
package
across
the
mountains
on
his
next
journey.
Seeing
Tahaan's
eagerness,
ldrees
hands
him
a
grenade.
Tahaan
sets
off
on
his
second
journey
with
Subhan,
the
grenade
and
package
tucked
away
under
Birbal's
saddle.
What
is
the
price
that
Tahaan
will
have
to
pay
for
Birbal?
Santosh
Sivan
travels
a
seldom
travelled
path
in
Tahaan.
Sure,
he's
telling
a
simple,
uncomplicated
story,
but
a
simple
story
could
be
difficult
to
narrate.
The
film
has
its
share
of
interesting
moments,
but
the
finale
is,
without
doubt,
the
best
part
of
the
enterprise.
However,
the
screenplay
is
not
as
convincing
and
gripping
as
one
expects
it
to
be.
Tahaan
belongs
to
the
young
actor
--
Purav.
Post
Darsheel's
act
in
Taare
Zameen
Par,
Purav's
is
the
most
confident
act
by
a
child
actor.
Anupam
Kher
also
stays
with
you
even
after
the
show
has
concluded.
Sarika
is
excellent.
Rahul
Bose
doesn't
deliver
this
time,
mainly
because
the
role
lacks
meat.
Rahul
Khanna
has
a
miniscule
role.
Ditto
for
Victor
Banerjee.
On
the
whole,
Tahaan
is
for
a
niche
audience,
more
for
the
festival
circuit.