Ask any urban child what they would do if they witness an emergency situation at home. Depending on where the child is located in the world, the child is most likely to call numbers such as 911, 112, 999, 108 or the like. Now, imagine a place and a scenario devoid of telecommunications or any kind of social support system to help deal with emergencies. At Paderu, a small tribal village on the East Cost of India, the scenario leaves nothing to be imagined.
First time director Nag Gottap's 'Sikharam'(The Peak) explores the life of the tribal populace, with an emphasis on their will to live despite the extreme conditions prevalent in the wilderness.
Although written as a fictional piece, the story draws heavily from thousands of real life incidents that happen every day in remote tribes across the world. Steering clear of sentimentality and gut-wrenching melodrama, Nag Gottap attempts to capture the playful and indomitable perspective of tribal children during a domestic emergency. Leveraging the breath-taking natural beauty of the hills in and around Paderu, the film creates a sense of adventure revealed via a risk-laden journey through the forest.
'Sikharam' is a forest adventure with children as the protagonists. At one level, it is a commentary on how far removed people living on the edge are from gaining inclusion into social security. At another level, it is a story of how a group of disarming children demonstrate guts, courage and an undying will to live, despite the odds surrounding them. |
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