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Fairy tales used to have a place in our lives. If paternal and maternal grandmothers of present era have forgotten the tradition of reciting stories to their grand children and even Jagjit Singh’s most famous song , “Wo Kaghaz ki Kashti, wo barish ka pani” is failed to revive this art then Vishal Bhardwaj’s The Blue Umbrella screams loud that we have lost a very precious thing. Those tales delivered by parents and grand parents were basically to ignite power of imagination in the children. While lying in the bed in the night, Kids used to see visuals through the spoken words and that’s very important for a child to use his imagination power. Those bed time stories were to remove gaps between the youngest and most oldest generation of the families. We lost that tradition somewhere.
Through these stories, oldest people were able to relive their own childhood. They used to become children again for those moments when they are reciting the stories by giving more emphasis on the points which they found that kids were enjoying more and where kids were jiggling more.
Every country has its own traditions. Rich western countries are able to keep lively childhood of kids of their nations but India has lost this rich heritage under the burden of false performance in stupid competitions in idiot schools. Kids are burdened with heavy course books having thousands of words and yet kids are not learning much. They have become coolies at that younger age. If child labour is a curse then we all the Indians are culprit and not only poor fellows but all those riches also whose kids can go in a school which demand Rs 10000-15000 per month as fee. TV programme has taken away that imagination power from the kids because most of the kids don’t read the books and they prefer to watch stupid daily serials because their parents are unable to suppress their own lust for stylish dresses wore by characters of the serials. Childhood is losing its charm in India and this deterioration is happening very fast.
Now to play outside is not possible for kids as they have to finish heavy homework. If Lord Macaulay’s method was able to create clerks for British administration to function then modern days Indian education system is also converting every kid in to a clerk, now once grown up they can join any profession but that clerkness will not go out of their lives. A job is a job but when clerkness becomes an attitude then it’s a problem because it brings slavery in human life.
In such scenario if a film maker dares to make a film which may carry not only kids in to different world but even elders can enjoy those 90-95 minutes then it’s a remarkable achievement and efforts should be praised a lot. Someone tried to bring back childhood in to Indian life.
And Director does not show limited vision while filming the scenes. Film has been shot with same treatment as seen in his previously made two adult films.
Normally in kid’s films directors and cameramen don’t bother to do experiments with the camera but here we find some new takes.
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Caution :- Two scenes are described below:

Biniya the main child character of the film is standing in the valley at the bank of small river, when she notices something in the sky. Normally camera captures the object either flying in the sky or falling from the sky and normally camera remains static and we see object is moving but here we find object is nowhere but camera is moving and shaking in a way as if something is falling from the sky following all the THUMKEBAZI in the air. That’s a brilliant take on the matter.

Ultimately audience get to know that it’s a Blue Umbrella which was flying down like a parachute. Not only Biniya but audiences are also mesmerised by the way camera presents beauty of the umbrella. What is there in an umbrella? Not much in reality but here everything lies around this Blue Umbrella. Its the third lively character in the film.
In another scene when Biniya finds that someone has taken her umbrella then camera goes back very fast leaving her sitting alone in a devastated condition.

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Normally hindi cinema directors have not been very capable in extracting out good works from child actors. Prakash Arora did it in Boot Polish, Satyen Bose did it in Jagiriti, Raj Kapoor did it in Mera Nam Jokar, Gulzar did it in Parichay and then after long years Shekhar Kapur did it in Masoom but rest others have treated child actors as extra cast in their films. Either child actors are shown too dramatic to accept or their roles are presented in funny and objectionable ways. Vishal Bhardwaj had done it in Makrhee also, his first ever feature film and he does it again. Child actors are good in the film and not only the lead child actor (Shriya who plays Biniya) but the boy who works at shop of Pankaj Kapur does a fine job.

Vishal Bhardwaj presents a simple tale in stylish but pleasant manners. But its not kiddish film where one can grasp everything in casual manner. Right from the very first scene where Pankaj Kapoor is lying on a cot with head phone on his ears, one has to be attentive towards what is brought on the screen. You blink and you miss the beauty of the dialogue or the scene. If you don’t catch when camera goes to the signboard of the shop of Nand Kishor Khatri (Pankaj Kapur) then you will miss a laughing. If you miss what Mr Khatri is listening through head phone then you miss the entire scene.
Biniya (Shriya), Umbrella and Nand Kishor Khatri (Pankaj Kapur) the trio is able to bring a whole life cycle before us. Their tale is so humane that it deeply touches your heart. Through umbrella a story of greed and its effect on life is shown.
Pankaj Kapur- what can be said about this actor? Words cant do justice to his performance in this film. Super stars of yester years and now veteran actors and super stars of present era should watch this actor, they will feel rejuvenated to do similar kind of standard acting. Every actor has a certain age when he can do maximum and it was difficult for Pankaj Kapur to shine equally in his youth when Amitabh Bachchan, Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri were fetching every good project but now they all are in that age where they have to struggle to match Pankaj Kapur’s acting abilities. He is standing tall in front of these actors. He is daring to do experiments and when none of them is burdened with the responsibility to carry good fortune to their films at box office then they can take an inspiration from Pankaj Kapur.
Every actor who has crossed 50-55 years of his age, should question himself, is he able to play this character of Nand Kishor Khtari as Pankaj Kapur has played?
Pankaj Kapur has thoroughly enjoyed the role. This is a fancy role, a get up based role, a role having mannerisms, a character showing histrionics and he shines here to no limit.
Nand Kishor Khatri is essential part of that small village. He knows one way only to live his life and its enjoying it completely. He is full of desires, energies and often he has a childish side in him. He does not feel shy or odd by competing with kids in the village.
He is not literate in those terms as its understood that one should know reading and writing but he is clever. He does not mind if people are ridiculing him. He is happy in living his life as he wants.
Nand Kishor forgets everything when he first sees the Blue Umbrella with Biniya. He is a child at heart and now he needs it. Seeing his desperation his child associate asks him, what would you get after getting the umbrella. Nand Kishor replies,” what we get from watching a rainbow, or seeing sun setting behind the mountains or by sailing paper boats in the water” He chuckles with his younger associate that what he gets by having him at his shop? He concludes with dreamy eyes lost somewhere in the vacuum,
“ Atma ki shanti mein nafa nuskan nahin dekha jata “(peace of soul is above the loss and profit).
His trials to get the umbrella and his efforts to allure Biniya so that she gives it to him are a treat to watch. He touches the height in his acting when he describes to a shop owner in city, which kind of umbrella he needs. His facial expressions, shining glisters in his dreamy eyes and his dialogue delivery declares strongly about his greatness as an actor.
Vishal Bhardwaj shows how scenes can leave deep impression in the scene where Biniya comes forward to help Nand Kishor Khatri because he is unable to close the Umbrella. The movements of her fingers on the umbrella and her attachment and the recognition that this is her Umbrella and glances exchanged between her and Nand Kishor and the aftermath of the closing ceremony of the umbrella is able to say a complete story. One of the finest scene in Hindi cinema and it leaves long lasting impressionon audience and audience has to struggle to come out of its impact to watch next scene. Though this scene is preceded by a low standard comic scene where Nand Kishor tries to pull out the Umbrella from the door of the bus.
Different expressions comes on his (PK’s) face with the blink of eyes and he follows suitable body language accordingly and these all factors are able to prove that he is one of the best actors living in present era.
He fears body builder elder brother of Biniya when later is trying to settle matter of binocular with him but greed of his character is unable to resist and he slowly pushes his case that till he gets his money he would like to keep binocular with him only. But when he is wounded that Biniya has insulted him by bringing police to his shop cum house then he dares to challenge same wrestler man.
How fast Pankaj Kapur can change his facial expression and body language can be seen in the scene where he is delivering the speech as the chief guest during wrestling championship and he watches Biniya, her brother and policeman coming towards him and at same time he realises that rain is washing his claims of ownership of the Umbrella. He knows he has lost the case.
Expelled Nand Kishor tries his best to join mainstream life of the village and when he reaches to barbar’s shop, one feels sympathetic towards him. The way he joins the marriage procession and starts dancing so that he also can join the marriage ceremony is just to watch to enjoy.
His shameful face when Biniya comes to show that she is not angry with him and she has forgotten his doings. He is just amazing when Biniya leaves Umbrella with him and he is left standing alone amidst vast field covered with White snow.
Before that when he tries to allure school going children by offering them free biscuits and toffees.
Greed had taken the spring from the village life but after a long winter, life is rejuvenated again by next spring and shop cum house of Nand Kishor Khatri is full of life again. To err is human…
And now its not Khatri tea stall but Chatri tea stall.
In One year life takes a full turn. Film is credited in 2005 and how juries can ignore Pankaj Kapur for National award? When our society will be civilized enough to give awards to two persons in same year? Art is not like mathematics that one can score 99 and other 98 and you can decide here who was topper, here two can get best actor award in same year. Its injustice if Pankaj Kapur cant be given best actor’s award together with Amitabh Bachchan.
Thank you Vishal Bhardwaj and cinematographer Sachin Krishn for showing us such a good film
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Now some objections-
We have been listening anecdote about Neta Ji Subhash Chandra Bose’s performance in the exams during his graduation in Renaissance college, that how examiners were unable to cut the marks and he was given 99% in each subject. May be this is partially true but tale fascinate us. In same way we audience don’t expect less from Vishal Bhardwaj, and especially after watching Maqbool and Omkara our expectations are very high from him.
There is a scene in Scent of a Woman (Scent of Women) where young Charlie is sitting with blind Col. Slade in the restaurant of a hotel and Slade has ordered beer for his young companion and Charlie tries to tell waiter in gestures that he should bring small glass and blind Slade says to him,” Don’t do that, please don’t don’t do that”.
Perhaps TBU was made before Omkara but even then decision to decide final format of the film was in hand of Vishal Bhardwaj, when he (or producer) was going to release the film in 2007. The scene in Omkara where Saif Ali Khan is describing his tales (full of lies) about Vivek Oberoy and Bipasha Basu, was very powerful but you have repeated same scene in TBU and its so weak scene here. You could have cut this scene here, there was no need to keep such a weak scene in the film and that too which audience has seen in its better version.
Please don’t do that Mr Bhardwaj.
Umbrella is so important factor in the film. But film shows story of a small village situated in remote areas in the hills. Perhaps I am wrong and its possible but still I have doubt that one can dye a two coloured (blue and white in this case) cloth in to other combination of colours (some shade of red and white in this case). By dying with that method shown in the film, one will get single dark red colour only. Director could have searched some intelligent way to handle this problem. Children will catch him there.
Just for sake of those 99% marks theory, only Pankaj Kapur speaks paharee language and rest of the crowd speaks language best fit in Omkara but not fitting in TBU. Vishal Bhardwaj could have improved this situation.
May be my observation is wrong given very less understanding about music, but otherwise smoothly going background music which fits suitably with the hill area based story, suddenly takes different turn first during the marriage procession of son of headman of the village and it seems like coming from a bagpipes and again when Biniya leaves Umbrella with Nand Kishore, BMG enters in to the western symphonies. Local is global when local is depicted in its totallity!
When its Indian villages based story then why not using local folk music instead? If it had to be an abstract then there was no need to give paharee tone to the language of Pankaj Kapur.
So film suffers from few editing, continuity and irregularity factors. Budget, initial idea to make it limited to a kid film only etc can be the reasons but then final product is final product and when a film maker goes to market to buy a product he also demands best from the producer and shop owner. He does not pay attention to limitations which might occur before the producer of that product.
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But barring these small hiccups film is SOMETHING.

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