Do you remember the masterful director Amol Gupte? yes, the director of Taare Zameen Par. And let me report, the director of thatmagical film (which, I believe, was the best Hindi film of 2007) is back with a loud bang, this time with a more intimate tale of a child and his tiffin box. His dabba.
The film, also named 'Stanley's Tiffin Box' for the multiple international screenings, tells a cut-to-cuteness story of a child called Stanley, who is an amusing little child, an apple of the eyes of his English teacher Ms. Rosy, a brilliant student in the class. And the story also features Amol himself as Mr. Verma, a 'khadoos' Hindi teacher who eats the tiffin of each and every child of the school. However, Verma sir has a dislike for Stanley since he doesn't bring his lunch to school. The film features this intense tussle between the teacher and the student, which forms the majority of the comic portions of the film, and also the important narrative the film has.
The emotionally content driven film touches on its utmost emotional messaging with the right amount of nuances. The scenes where Partho Gupte, Amol's son who plays Stanley, is, lits the screen substantially. The scenes of his and Rosy Miss's give a light to the screens. Those scenes are where Amol the storyteller truly lifts off the screen and frequently soars.
The storytelling is what actually elevates this truly heartwarming film. Filled with heartfelt moments which are all heart in each frame, the film is filled with love and warmth, the right things which you will usually expect from a film centered around a child. But it is actually the food which caters you. Filled with ingenuity and the right amounts of soul food moments, the film packs strength in its genuinely emotional scenes. The film takes a really substantial bitter-sweet twist in the end. I was filled with tears in my eyes at that genuine climax. Truly, this is the kind of film the characters of which can inhabit any part of the world and win you over.
The film is a textured, layered film that's all heartwarming, heartfelt and feel-good. The characters are worth soaking into, and absolutely delicious. I wish I knew such a magical character as Stanley in my life. I am going with an 8 out of 10 for 'Stanley Ka Dabba'. I plead you to watch the film. It's very magical an experience.