Platform Indie Pick: Chippa

OTT platforms in the country are thriving. While at times they might just be used as dumping grounds for some trashy commercial cinema, there are also times you come across tales so bewitching, they fill you with hope. One such narrative is Chippa, after having a successful run at international film festivals over the last year or so, the movie by debut writer and director Safdar Rahman has finally found a spot in the streaming giant, Netflix. 

Starring the charming young Sunny Pawar in the titular role, the narrative follows the ten year old, Chippa, through the night as he runs away from his home and wanders through the streets of Kolkata with the determination to find someone who can read Urdu and can translate a letter from the father who abandoned him. What follows is nothing short of a fairytale as Chippa’s innocent yet tenacious, childlike gaze appropriates the downtrodden streets of the city. As opposed to exoticised images of the Howrah bridge and the Hugli river, Chippa rather comes face to face with strangers who bit by bit, through their peculiar interactions, teach him the business of life. 

A taxi driver, a group of band players, entitled alcoholics and a policeman may seem like the most dangerous characters, straight out of a realist narrative -- most likely Anurag Kashyap’s -- but Chippa holds his own. The young boy remains unperturbed by his grim circumstances and continues through the night, relying on his imagination, as his drawings come to life. Imagination has the utmost power, the power to transcend borders and language, and explore Paris with a french friend merely after seeing an envelope with a French stamp on it. 

Imagination fuels his hope and aspirations. Hope further finds a very visual representation through the red balloon and Chippa’s longing gaze at it. The dark, grim streets of Kolkata and the vivid red balloon signifying hope is a seemingly clear evocation of Banksy’s Girl with Balloon. In the next scene we see the red balloon tied to Pippa, his puppy friend -- it's safe to say that Chippa clearly isn’t the kind who’ll give up.

As Chippa continues to traverse the streets of the city with Pippa and his wits at his side, he continues to dream about being a taxi driver, a newspaper seller, a policeman and a trumpet player, amongst other things. He’s just like any other child and the world is his canvas, he never stops aspiring but even then, he’s not an escapist. He’s astutely aware of his class reality which becomes even more evident towards the denouement of the film. As morning arrives, it brings with it the reminder that Chippa has a clearer understanding of how the world operates.

While a major chunk of the movie covers aspects of childlike hope, there are also clear indicators of how rooted it is in its premise. A group of young boys playing carrom have internalised their class position as normal rather than an exploitative consequence of the capitalist system. What’s disappointing through the entire plot is the clear lack of female voices. It’s sad to see them appear rather fleetingly with not much to say. A run in with an intriguing and well rounded female character, surely would’ve added more to Chippa’s coming of age tale.