Majid
Majidi's
Children
Of
Heaven
comes
down
to
earth
in
an
endearing
spiral
of
the
spellbinding
and
the
sensitive.
Let's
not
get
unnecessarily
and
unjustly
nostalgic
about
the
original
Iranian
film.
This
remake,
done
up
in
shades
of
terrorism
in
the
idyllic
North-east
(region
unspecified)
is
so
lyrically
lush
in
its
visuals
and
so
gently
evocative
in
treatment
that
the
original
material
is
forgotten
ten
minutes
into
the
narrative.
A
great
deal
of
the
credit
for
the
film's
immense
intense
but
toned-down
impact
must
go
to
the
children,
Darsheel
Safary
no
longer
the
pouty
buck-teethed
moppet
from
Taare
Zameen
Par,
and
little
Ziyah
Vastani
who's
quite
easily
the
most
delightful
new
discovery
of
the
year.
Ziyah
in
fact
steals
many
scenes
from
under
her
brilliant
co-star's
nose.
If
he
minds
it,
he
doesn't
show
it.
Darsheel
and
little
Ziyah
create
an
intangible
and
secret
world
of
hushed
wonderment
and
discovery
that
takes
the
narrative
far
beyond
the
precincts
of
the
original
fable
about
an
impoverished
pair
of
sibling's
desperate
but
disarming
attempt
to
share
a
pair
of
shoes.
Yup,
Bumm
Bumm
Bole
is
quite
a
'shoe'
stopper.
The
fable
is
expanded
to
accommodate
a
world
filled
with
pain
pleasure
and
other
emotions
that
emerge
in
the
journey
from
innocence
to
awareness.
Unlike
Vishal
Bhardwaj's
The
Blue
Umbrella
or
Majid
Majidi's
Children
Of
Heaven,
Bumm
Bumm....doesn't
try
to
be
wise
at
the
children's
expense.
Frequently
you
feel
Priyadarshan
allowed
the
children
to
instinctively
empathize
with
if
not
fully
understand
the
political
complications
underlining
the
social
issues
of
poverty
and
socio-communal
solidarity
in
times
of
stress
and
longing.
Unlike
other
recent
parables
on
children,
innocence
and
violence
set
in
idyllic
sports
like
Santosh
Sivan's
Tahaan
and
Piyush
Jha's
Sikandar,
Bumm
Bumm
Bole
doesn't
forget
to
be
an
entertaining
story.
Priyadrashan,
fresh
from
the
triumph
of
his
other
socially
relevant
drama
Kanchivaram
imbues
the
pale
but
passionate
dusky
light
of
the
mountainous
locales
with
oodles
of
warmth
and
emotion.
The
kids
don't
take
over
the
show.
They
just
slip
into
the
proceedings
like
two
scoops
of
ice-cream
into
a
ready
steady
cone.
Darsheel
shows
a
definite
and
reassuring
progress
as
an
actor
since
his
debut.
His
rapport
with
his
screen
-sister
jumps
out
of
the
screen
and
pervades
our
senses
unconditionally.
You
just
want
to
steal
little
Ziyah
from
the
screen
and
take
her
home.
The
two
kids
are
amazingly
good.
The
ever-dependable
Atul
Kulkarni
puts
in
a
supremely
credible
turn
as
the
harried
father
who
doesn't
forget
to
smile
when
the
kids
are
around.
Like
other
fabulous
or
farcical
creations
by
Priyadarshan,
this
one
too
is
shot
on
picture-postcard
locations
with
the
cinematographer
(Selvi)
and
the
art
director
(Sabu
Cyril)
adding
that
extra
bit
of
lyricism
to
every
frame
without
showing
off.
Bumm
Bumm
Bole
is
a
gentle
but
persuasive
piece
of
work,
not
just
for
children
though
certainly
about
children
who
learn
fast
about
the
harsh
realities
of
life.
The
film
follows
their
trail
without
getting
bitter
cynical
or
hysterical.
The
constantly
even
tone
is
a
boon.
The
kids
are
a
blessing.
This
film
is
a
soft-spoken
and
delicate
piece
of
cinema.
Not
to
be
missed.
Story first published: Friday, May 14, 2010, 17:05 [IST]