War is never an option, if you can conquer animosity and hate you can kill the seeds of war. This is precisely what Kabir Khan’s ‘Tubelight’ tries to tell its audiences by adapting a 2015 American Film ‘Little Boy’
Set in the backdrop of the 1962 Sino Indian War, Tubelight reinforces the need for mankind to have hope in the toughest of times.
Kabir Khan Films tell a touching story of love, bonding, longing and a sense of hope that help one man achieve admiration even though he is slightly under developed mentally.
Lakshman Singh Bisht and Bharat Singh Bisht are siblings who share a unique relation. One cannot do without the other. They play in the park, share goodies, spend time at the fair together and even enjoy leisure time caring for one other, but it is war between neighbours India and China that do them apart.
While Lakshman is unable to make the cut in the army, it is Bharat who has to take that critical plunge to the battlefield for the greater good of everyone.
Set in a tiny fictional hamlet, where Lakshman is loved and laughed at equally the film has a good message with Salman Khan pulling of a good show playing a special person.
Coaxed by a relative played by Om Puri, it is Sohail Khan aka Bharat who leaves for the Border where the Chinese are repeatedly testing India’s might.
On one hand the protagonist is fretting for his one and only close companion, Bharat. On the other hand the world continues to mock Lakshman’s special abilities by branding him a dim wit calling him Tubelight.
Highly motivated by a chance interaction with Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi at school, Lakshman is living with the audacity of hope. He believes he can do wonders because a magician Gogi Pasha once tricked him to believe that he could move a bottle just by staring at it. Yakeen Chattan Bhi Hila Sakta hai is a belief that keeps him going at every stage.
What robs the sheen off the Gandhiji reference though is the dialogue Salman belts out – “Pita ko sharaab ne maar diya, maa ko ghum ne aur Gandhiji ko humne. Apart from the positive takeaways the film takes a look at some contentious issues — the national/anti-national debate, who is perceived to be an Indian and who is not eg- given the stress on a Chinese to chant Bharat Mata Ki Jai.
To bring Bharat back Lakshman will have to beat the Chinese in their own game but he is taught to follow the path of Ahimsa.
He takes the confrontationist path. His friend attacks a Chinese family he spots while out cycling. Offers cold drinks, watermelon and ice cream to his little friend.
Lakshman’s new friend Gooo along with his mother live, breathe and love India.
At the end realizes he has a connect with them.
Lakshman has been missing his brother, on the contrary Gooo and his family have faced the wrath of Sino Indian rivalry from closed quarters. Many from the family are either in custody or have been troubled in the past. They had to leave Calcutta to live and survive in exclusion for fear of their lives.
Tubelight has its heart in the right place. An anti-war movie it illustrates pointlessness of battle and the need to shun hate in all forms. It is a remake of a 2015 American film Little Boy.
A bright Chinese actress Zhu Zhu and moon-faced child Matin Rey Tangu are effortless in playing the Chinese mother son duo.
From Brijendra Kala smiling to Yashpal Sharma and from Sohail, Salman to Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub each character is cleverly crafted.
A lot of the film has been shot in Ladakh. Tubelight is the third film where Kabir and Salman collaborated after Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Ek Tha Tiger.
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