You are Invited for Chintu ka Birthday, on ZEE5

on June 04, 2020 / by

I’ve been so hooked onto Over The Top (OTT) platforms that I needed to top up my internet subscription plan to cater to my every day growing entertainment needs. Yes, I’m one of the 432 million video viewers in India that have turned to good old entertainment to navigate through the tough waters of the COVID19 lockdown.

Image source: ZEE5.com

Yesterday while flipping through the platforms on Alexa, I chanced upon the trailer of the to be launched short film, Chintu Ka Birthday on ZEE5. The film stars Vedant Raj Chibber as Chintu Tiwary, Vinay Pathak as Chintu's father - Madan Tiwary, Tillotama Shome as Chintu's Mother - Sudha Tiwary, Bisha Chaturvedi as Chintu's Sister - Laxmi Tiwary, and Seema Pahwa as Chintu's grandmother.

My very first reaction to the start of the trailer was, which child wouldn’t love an amazing birthday party until when the trailer progressed to an unexpected disruption by two American soldiers at the onset of Chintu’s birthday party. And that wouldn’t be a surprise as the film is set inside a war-torn Iraq, where during the US invasion of Iraq some illegal migrants are awaiting help to return home to India. In such a scenario, one family, the Tiwarys, are preparing to celebrate the birthday of their younger child Chintu.

The two and a half minute film trailer shows how a normal family goes from managing the everyday mundane to preparing for a birthday celebration to finally being locked down for being insurgents. The trailer of the film, ‘Chintu ka Birthday’ comes alive in every little scene, and creates parts of this 80-minute film in the viewers mind. The narrative is a simple depiction of a generous and life-affirming tale of an ordinary family in an extraordinary situation.

Image source: ZEE5.com

Three things that stood out for me after watching the trailer are:

The Plot
Chintu ka Birthday is based on the plight of Indian migrants during the US invasion of Iraq. Though there are a few films on this particular topic, the plot based on how a regular family struggles to do simple things during a direct conflict isn’t. And this is what makes me curious about the film.

The Performances
Chintu Ka Birthday stars Vinay Pathak and Tillotama Shome, do I need to say more? However, the kid Vedant Chibber looks promising.

The Direction
Chintu Ka Birthday has been directed by writer-director duo Devanshu Kumar and Satyanshu Singh. The duo has focused on the story and hence the narrative will be seamless. And as they rightly said in a statement, “Although the film is set in Iraq in 2004, the present situation, where we are locked down in our houses with our families is no different. We have to live in the moment, love each other and keep faith that this too shall pass."

I don’t need another reason to tune in to watch Chintu Ka Birthday that is going to be exclusively streamed on ZEE5 from June 5, 2020, but if you need another reason, the film is a winner of the Viewer’s Choice Award at the recently concluded Jagran Film Festival.

Go watch!

Until next time,
~ Heena

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10 comments

  1. Lets bring in the popcorn and coke to celebrate Chintu ka Birthday, which is going to be exclusively streamed on ZEE5 from June 5, 2020.

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  2. I'm have been very keen on catching this movie since its theatrical release last year, but I couldn't watch it as it didn't air in any theatre in my hometown.

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  3. The story line is indeed very interesting, I sure would love to watch it. Is ZEE5 offering a free trial period prior to paid subscription?

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  4. I watched this film with my family yesterday and absolutely loved it. A must watch for everyone.. its beautiful, emotional and zealous.

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  5. Wow that sound an amazing movie... Surely going to watch it

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  6. We watched this movie on the first day of its release and we must say that its beautiful. Though, we wanted something more from this movie but it's still a good watch. Good to see independent writers coming forward and writing experimental stories.

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  7. After reading your review. It seems to be an awesome show. Will strat watching it.

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  8. Oh my God we will see Vinay Pathak after such a long time. I am sure it will be an awesome movie. I will try to watch it over the weekend.

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  9. I watched this with my sister and we were so caught up in all the drama. It is an intense movie to watch.

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  10. As a parent I so identify with the parents in the film, who go to lengths to put a smile on the child's face.

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