Kavi : Molded to Excellence review
“Cricket is for everyone, isn’t it?” explains a poor, ragged teenage boy to his owner as he is asked to do his everyday duties at a brick kiln. He is believed to be the fastest worker and his delusion is added to by his owner’s false hopes for rewards; But only if he does magnanimous tasks within the given period of time.
Kavi played by Sagar Salunke is just another kid. But this kid is not ordinary none the less. A perfect example of a modern day slave, he does his job because he is forced to do so. Burdened by the debt of his father for a sum of 10,000 rupees, working at the kiln is his only means for survival. His parents, none the less are a part of the same team working and working and working some more for only a measly pay of peanuts.
A few kids are playing the wonderful game of cricket on the green pastures besides the kiln. And Kavi is a watching spectator, dreaming of having a ‘normal’ childhood. Of going to school and playing cricket with full freedom, carefree. The grass, in this case, does seem to be greener on the other side for Kavi but at the same time seems as distant as the never-ending horizon.
Gregg Helvey, the director is on a mission to tell a story and that he does indeed with his every frame crafted to perfection. With tight close-ups of the kid, it allows him to express the plight of just another modern day slave….out of the millions! At the same time, the contrasting long shots allowing the grasping of the location, a silent hellhole for many people. The colour tones too play an important part. The brown tones symbolizing the dark and ‘evil’ situation along with green tones symbolizing freedom and liberation are added psychological elements which express the mood and feel of the scene. And with due credit, they do have an impact on a subconscious level for a fact.
As the story progresses Kavi comes in contact with a few people who want to free these slaves and end this destruction of basic human rights. When found out about his meeting with them, he is tied to a chain attached to a wall in the owner’s office, beaten and abused. The chain in the office does seem a little conveniently placed but I would give the benefit of the doubt to the makers since we normally wouldn’t know what methods the slave owners might use to ‘punish’ their offenders. Moreover, the motive of the film is to spread awareness about this ignored social condition.
It may be interesting to observe similarities between the ancient slaves of Egypt working in pools clay to make big bricks for the Pharaoh’s pyramids so that he may have a final resting place and here, Kavi, an adolescent kid doing the same for his master so that he may, after he dies, maybe have an ivory coffin!
As the movie comes to an end the questions which looms is that of liberation. Will Kavi be free from the entire social dilemma and will he have that what the other kids take for granted – freedom! There is a message in the film for sure. Child labour and slavery still does exists even today. Maybe it is just not obvious yet! But you don’t have to bang your head against a brick wall to see it, just watch the movie!
