A brave prince, a malevolent demon, a benevolent fairy and a selfless act for the greater good are stuff that fairytales are made of. Growing up, every child finds his heroes in such fairy tales. These fantastical stories help the child appreciate the idea that pursuing the path of the greater good, no matter the hardship encountered along the way is always the right thing to do. They introduce the idea of finding joy in noble acts. When young Veer meets Masha, a Russian girl, he believes that she is, in fact, a fairy who has come down to earth. The two then embark on an adventure, fueled by the tales of Dadaji, the lovable storyteller of the village who entertain them with tales of demons, fairies and a brave prince who saves the day. When the village faces a calamity, Veer decides to take a leaf out of Dadaji’s story as a guide and takes it upon himself to find a solution. With the fairy by his side, he sets out into the unknown to set matters right. Does little veer fight his demons and emerge successfully? Will Dadaji’s fairytale guide the impressionable minds through their delimas? Does the fairy protect Veer in this adventure?
‘Folktale’ is a short film by Director Ajitesh Sharma. Ajitesh’s story of Veer and Masha has the dreamy quality of a laid-back bedtime story. The idyllic village setting, the innocence of the characters, their simple conflicts and the easy solutions, they all go to make this film a delight to watch with a young heart and find pure child-like joy when the hero accomplishes his mission and saves his people. The bright and colourful visual treatment, a music score that brings alive the rustic beauty of Indian villages and commendable performances from the child artists make this watch so much more satisfying.
‘Folktale’ is a story of stories. It works to stress the importance of tales in shaping young minds with the right set of values. Children learn through stories and for these uncorrupted minds, it is often difficult to differentiate between reality and fiction and between the practical and fantastical. Though the ability to make this differentiation is important in the real world, sometimes being ignorant can produce results that would have been impossible in a practical, sane world.
