Halkaa

Nila Madhab Panda gives us a film about urban wretchedness in easily digestible drawing-room gollops.

Nila Madhab Panda's film, a children's version of Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, might have worked as a concise short film, but at some point in a two-hour-long story, the tone gets self-righteous and repetitive, and the politics whitewashed

Potty training gets sanitised and superficial, this is Toilet: Ek Flimsy Katha...

This otherwise tedious and futile film only seems interesting in scenes where Pichku is accompanied by his street-smart friend Gopi (Aryan Preet). The child actors are good and deserve a film that doesn't make you unintentionally laugh at their characters' plight. Paoli Dam also deserves a mention for her thoughtful portrayal of a mother torn between her love for her son and her responsibilities as an adult. However, despite the decent performances, watching a boy's aversion to stench for almost two hours is anything but relieving.