Wonderful – Kalo Pothi

Movie: Kalo Pothi

Director: Min Bahadur Bham

Screenplay: Min Bahadur Bham, Abinash Bikram Shah

Actors: Khadka Raj Nepali, Sukra Raj Rokaya, Jit Bahadur Malla, Hansha Khadka, Benisha Hamal, Nanda Prasad Khatri, Bipin Karki and Pravin Khatiwada

In My Eyes: ****1/2 (out of 5)

In a single line, Kalo Pothi is a brilliant presentation of a simple story. In one word – Wonderful! Watching this movie has left me completely enthralled that I have literally run out of words to describe it, however, I will try.

The best factor of Kalo Pothi for me is its sheer authenticity. Having its root in the rural village of Mugu, Karnali and growing it into a plant that it has turned out to be, not only make it delightfully authentic but also largely widen its universality. The rawness in the performances and finely detailed and balanced-in-all-ways setting bring the organic vibes in the movie, and this is what makes Kalo Pothi beautiful.

Kalo Pothi is a tale of the quest of two kids Prakash and Kiran to find a missing hen that was given to Prakash by his sister, on the backdrop of civil war in 2001. This simple story is converted into an engaging screenplay and the director has executed it in such an accomplished manner; it’s a poetic narration of a soft but serious story. The movie flows smoothly but creates a turbulence of emotions. It is high in expressiveness.

I loved the way humor has been inserted into the plots that contain grimness, which guarantees few laughs and many smiles while it touches your heart and makes you feel the characters’ sentiments at the same time. As the story moves forward and develops the central conflict, we gradually get into the characters’ world; there is neither any rush nor the delay. Within its one and a half hour runtime, it successfully shows the audience the psychology of its characters and the effect on it due to various factors.

Talking about the setting, the socio-economic facets of a rural village in Karnali region of the then period has been projected precisely. The friendship between Prakash and Kiran sheds light on the effect of caste-based discrimination on the minds of children and challenges the very topic at the same time. In two scenes: one when Prakash sees the new jacket on Kiran and later where Kiran hands out old clothes to Prakash and his father, the expressions of Prakash subtly shows the psychological effect of rich/poor conflict on him. In a political prospect, the movie has stayed neutral on the war and has shown its micro effects on a village. The janti and the wedding scene, the maoist program in school, the gathering of people to watch a Rajesh Hamal movie, etc. highlight the socio-cultural aspects.

The other winning factor of Kalo Pothi is its strong visual essence/language complimented by the amazing cinematography by Aziz Zhambakiyev. The dreams Prakash get and his comparison of finding a hen to his sister returning home are symbolic and carry an impactful significance. Those two dream sequences that illustrated Prakash’s suppressed feelings are beyond amazing; they are spectacular; they gave me goose-bumps while watching. The scene where nude Prakash and Kiran wash off the blood in the lake is very much riveting. There are so many such beautiful shots and artistically carried out sequences, I can only praise and praise.

The background score by Jason Kunwar is fabulous; it has indeed played the vital role in the storytelling. The use of the local Khas language is very much justified. The art direction, costume, and make-up departments are praise-worthy.

The scene-stealers are obviously Khadka Raj Nepali (Prakash) and Sukra Raj Rokaya (Kiran). They are completely natural and the rawness in their acts adds the significance to the movie. Khadka is so good in portraying emotional expressions. They just won the hearts with their impressive performances and how. All other supporting actors have done a nice job in their respective roles.

I can’t figure out any particular drawback. The pace is a bit slow at few times, and sometimes it gave the feel of a documentary. But these cannot be termed as drawbacks.

Final Say:

Kalo Pothi is a beautifully crafted movie that is rich in its authenticity, visual strength, heart-touching storytelling and the stirring performances of two lead (child) actors. 

Winsome from every point of view. It is the one not to be missed because this type of movie comes rarely in the industry. This movie is one of the best movies I have ever watched.

Photo Courtesy: facebook.com/kalopothi and YouTube screenshots

P.S. So much delighted to see the great audience in theaters.