Revolutionary film ‘I AM KALAM’ set to release on August 5th, 2011

I AM KALAM is the first film in the world produced by a development organization -‘SMILE FOUNDATION’. Normally development organizations produce documentaries, but SMILE foundation has taken the initiative to produce a mainstream Bollywood film ‘I AM KALAM’ starring National Award winner Harsh Mayar, Gulshan Grover, Pitobash Tripathy (Shor in
the city), French actress Beatrice Ordeix and Namrata Dixit .The film is going to be distributed pan India by Reliance Entertainment.

Smile Foundation showcased the fresh new look of the posters and the trailers of the film, besides introducing brief details on the ‘I AM KALAM movement; post the release of the internationally acclaimed film. I am Kalam is the feature debut of director Nila Madhab Panda
and has fetched for him the Aravindan Puraskaram 2010.

I AM KALAM is ‘Fable’ Like Narrative, of a prince and a  pauper in the setting of Rajasthan palaces and locales, entertaining with universal appeal. The story is about Chhotu who in spite of abject poverty has an inventive mind and a never say die spirit. It’s the story of the underdog, ‘Chottu’, a helper in the roadside dhabha, who watches APJ Abdul Kalam on TV, and is inspired to be like him. He is inspired by the fact that APJ Abdul Kalam distributed newspapers to pay off his fees and though his sheer grit and determination achieves his dreams.

Interestingly  Chottu gets very offended when he is called as ‘Chottu’, so he names himself as Kalam.  For ‘Chottu’  Kalam becomes his identity, for him even the alphabet K is for Kalam, rather than K for King.  Interestingly, he even sticks the photographs of Kalam next to the mirror and tries on ‘Kalam’ hairstyle too.

The film has been showered with much adulation and acclaim so far, ‘I AM KALAM’ is cinema that inspires!

With the newly won Audience Choice Award for the Best Feature Film at IFFLA 2011, I am Kalam now has 11 international awards in its kitty. Premiered at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival, the film has already won the best feature film in the Lucas International Film Festival in Germany; the Don Quixote Prize of the International Cine Club Federations in Germany; Young Jury award at the International Film Festival of India in Goa; the Best Children’s Feature Film at the CMS
International Film Festival Lucknow; Aravindan Puraskaram (Best Debutant Director Award) at the Chalachitra Film Society, Kerala; the “Audience Favourite” Award at the Barbican London Children’s Film Festival Award; a Special Diploma for the Best Actor Work at Minsk International Film Festival Listapadzik; and a Special Mention at the Cinekid International Film Festival in Amsterdam and the Ale Kino International Film Festival in Poland.

The Cause Partners supporting the well-intentioned film are Surya world and Century Ply.