LITTLE ZIZOU
NANO DIKRO PUN VATH MOTI
by Vishal Verma

Mira Nair & Indian Film presentation of a Studio 18 production in association with Jigri Dost Production. Producers: Dina Stafford, Sooni Taraporevala & Vandana Mallik. Executive Producer: Brad Gross. Director: Sooni Taraporevala(debut). Screenplay

Sooni Taraporevala. Genre: Drama. Target Audience: Metros, plexes, Festive loyals, wannabe bollywood aspirants & niche cinegoers.

Starring
Jahan Bativala ...  Xerxes
Imad Shah ...  Artaxerxes
Sohrab Ardeshir ...  Cyrus II
Boman Irani ...  Boman Presswala
Zenobia Shroff ...  Roxanne
Iyanah Bativala ...  Liana
Dilshad Patel ...  Zenobia
Shernaz Patel ...  Miss Patel
Mahabanoo Mody-Kotwal ...  Grandmother
John Abraham ...  Arjun
Kurush Deboo ...  Kurush
Tknow Francorsi ...  Tito
Cyrus Broacha  
Kunal Vijaykar ...  Kunal
Kamal Sidhu ...  Alka          

Technical Analysis
After scripting notable films for Mira Nair & bringing her to international lime light with films like ‘Salam Bombay’ (nominated for Oscars in the best foreign film category), Mississippi Masala, The NameSake & the biographical Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar for Jabbar Patel, the maverick writer now also shouts light, camera, action & receives a deserving clap for a noteworthy attempt.

Sooni Taraporevala in her debut impresses by her sincerity which has its depth in style as well as substance which is much better than the most “actual” movies. The film is not an attack on the growing intolerance (although that’s a delicious major part of it, sure). Instead, it’s a glorious satire on the world that's dangerously getting narrower in its orthodoxy and fanaticism.

But Sooni does it with soft touch that makes you smile on the conservatives, you don,t hate them but are amused by the naïve innocence of the so called reformist. All this seen through the eyes of a nine-year-old who believes in angels and fairies & also wins us over like the way it wins over demons & the horrifying messiahs.

That’s the power of this debut venture of Sooni which knows exactly which buttons to tweak.
Working both as a docu-feature on the charming lifestyle of the Parsi community on one hand and a modern satire on those who sound holier-than-thou; ‘Little Zizou’ is one of the sharpest, most intelligent films of recent times. 

Technically fair enough with appropriate production values, the movie gets 3&1/2 out of five. 1 for its approach, 1 & ½ for the performance of the entire ensemble cast which includes Boman’s stand out performance & 1 for its humour.

The Story
With heart and soul been poured into this enterprise which is an episodic journey of Xerxes (Jahan Bativala) known as little Zizou — doesn't really like the life he is living. He hates his father, Cyrus Khodaiji (Sohrab Ardeshir), a Parsi fundamentalist who launches a Parsi Liberation Army to preserve the purity of the fast-dwindling community.  He watches the power of love and tolerance, represented through Uncle Boman Pressvala (Boman Irani) little magazine, prevail upon his father's fraud and fundamentalist movement.

Xerxes – the motherless kid plays truant from school and prefers to spend the day with uncle boman , a crusading journalist and a surrogate mom, Aunt Roxanne (Xenobia Shroff), even though their young daughter (Inayah Bativala) hates his presence. The only other bright spots in his life are his elder brother, Art (Imaad Shah), a graphic novelist and Zinedane Zidane, his icon who must come to Mumbai, at least for his sake. He is sure his mother will manoeuvre this from heaven.

Promotion
Screened at the Mahindra Indo-American Arts Council Festival, South Asian Literary and Theater Arts Festival SALTAF™ 2008, Asiatica Film Mediale, International Film Festival of India (Goa), Asian Festival of 1st Films, Delhi International Arts Festival, International Film Festival of Kerala & the winner of the Best Producer Award at Asia-Pacific Festival of First Films, the movie has had its share of festive rounds & has made buzz at the festive circuit which should attract niche legs to plexes in Metros.

Business Analysis
With heart and soul been poured into this satire on the devilish godmen, this debut by Sooni Taraporevala should attract its festive followers and niche legs to the plexes & after a fair run in theatres, it can also enjoy the bonus from its T.V. & DVD release.

Other Credits
Original Music by: Bickram Ghosh. Cinematography: Himman Dhamija. Editor: Todd Woody Richman. Costume Designer: Arjun Bhasin & Shahnaz Vahanvaty. Makeup Shabana Latif. Assistant Directors: Tess Joseph ....  second assistant director & Nitya Mehra ....  first assistant director. Sound Department: Rachel Chancey ....  foley supervisor. Mark Cornish ....  sound recordist. David Paterson ....  sound editor 
Mary Ellen Porto ....  sound effects editor. Dominick Tavella ....  sound re-recording mixer. Choreography: Shiamak Davar. Production coordinator: Shruti Desai. Unit Production Manager: Anjali Panjabi. Casting: Sooni Taraporevala. Media Consultant: Spice. Reviewed at Famous Preview Theatre, Mumbai on March 12, 2009. Running Time: 100 minutes (approx).

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