Read Aloud
This excerpt from Daddy’s Mo talks about a
daughter’s fascination for her dad’s moustache!
All about dad
Anu likes many things about Daddy
She likes the bright, paper lanterns he
makes, the crisp onion pakodas he fries and the cute tortoise he makes out of
paper. Besides, he climbs the stairs with a hop, and wrestles with Uncle for
fun.
When guest come over, he always makes them
laugh.
Anu likes all these things about Daddy.
But
do you know what Anu likes most all? Daddy’s moustache!
But do you know what Anu likes most all?
Daddy’s moustache!
Every morning as Daddy shaves, Anu sits by
and watches him carefully. Daddy holds his tiny pair of scissors between his
two fingers, and with a snip-snip-snip he trims his moustache.
Anu says, “Now a little to left… now a bit
to the right… no no, Daddy! Don’t make your moustache small! I won’t talk to
you if you do!”
When daddy comes out of the shower, Anu
takes a little comb and brushes his moustache neatly.
She then holds both ands between her
fingertips and gives then a twirl! Then Daddy’s moustache looks stiff and
proud. “Done, Daddy! Now don’t you mess it up, okay?” she says sternly.
Actually, Anu likes anyone with a
moustache.
Like the dad of her friend Tuti, whose real
name is Smruti. He has such a fat moustache! He must need a big far comb to
brush it.
Tuti’s dad plays very good tennis. But
really, he should be a wrestler. If he wears a pleated turban and carries a
giant club on his shoulder, he’ll look just great!
Sahil’s dad has a pencil-thin moustache.
Anu wonders how he manages to trim it so
fine. If he wears a tall black hat, a long black overcoat and dark glasses,
he’ll look just like the detective on TV, who catches all the thieves!
But Grandpa who lives next door has the
best moustache of all!
It looks as if a big white cloud has come
down from the sky to live under his nose! His mouth is hidden behind the cloud.
Anu is anxious about Grandpa… how can he
eat with that cloud in the way?
6 Things to Learn From Chillar Party
You don’t need to sift through pedantic
tomes for pearls of parenting wisdom. Just watch this film.
- Don’t underestimate kids
If you equip them with confidence, they can
move mountains. See how the kids masterminded the ‘Save Bhidu’ operation, and
used the power of the net and networking to make the ‘chaddi’ protest a
success.
- Be sensitive yourself
Whether it’s to someone from a lower strata
of society, or even to an animal, the children, who initially behave like mean
bullies, later come to love Fatka and Bhidu (even doing his job of cleaning
cars when he’s unwell, and later employing him to clean their bicycles and
paying him form their pocket money when he gets sacked on grounds of child
labour).
- Reasoning works best
Encyclopaedia’s dad always reasons with him
unlike the other parents who rebuke. He also emerges as the main force lobbying
for the kids, and all after asking his son just one question: “Do you think you
can do it?” Encyclopaedia’s answer: “Yes”. Also, he explains the majority
census clause to his son, and the bespectacled genius discovers the Society
rule book and the loophole.
- Home atmosphere counts
There’s a reason Silencer doesn’t speak. If
you see the scenes in his home, no one talks to him or pays him any attention,
and he’s obviously suffering from self-esteem issues. However, silence does not
equal daft. He speaks up in the last scene, and speaks sense.
- Let kids be
Jhangiya didn’t want to wear an underwear.
So what? His parents let him be, and he turned out fine. When it mattered of
course, he wore the most unique chaddi of all, with aplomb (and suspenders!)
i=on the other hand, Aflatoon’s parents enrolled him in every activity. Was he
a whiz? Nope. He was just tired!
- Don’t be judgemental
While everyone made fun of him, Fatka
encouraged the man with the woman’s voice to become an RJ. He did; and also
became the kids’ biggest supporter.
What It’s About
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and Vikas Bahl,
and produced by UTV Motion Pictures and Salman Khan Being Human Productions,
Chillar Party is a touching tale of friendship between a group of kids and an
urchin and his dog. It won the 2011 National Film Award for Best Children’s
Film.
