It has often been said that a good human story well told on celluloid doesn't need stars and other baggage to succeed. Well said but how many films do we come across these days that actually fulfill these criteria? Thus you cannot help but be elated when you come across the Marathi film Shwaas. What a sensitive, thought provoking, heartwarming little film this is!

The film is based on a short story by Madhavi Gharpure itself based on a true incident in Pune 12-13 years ago. Shwaas, made at a cost of Rs 60 lakhs, which too was raised with great difficulty, looks at the tale of a small boy who is suffering from an extremely rare form of retinal cancer. In one of the cruelest ironies of life, an operation would save his life but would also render him blind. With the help of a kindly doctor and a medical social worker, the child, who has been brought to the hospital in Pune from his village by his grandfather, is set up for the operation. But the operation gets cancelled and is pushed to the following day. This is where the real life part come in. The grandfather sneaks the child out of the hospital and takes him around giving him a last look at the world - sights he will never see again…

Much time and efforts was spent into getting the film right and it shows. According to Arun Nalawade, who is one of the producers and also plays the role of the boy's grandfather, every character was finalized only after an audition. It took some time to trace out the doctor Dr. Shailesh Kutankar who had performed the delicate operation. He too took time to open up on his thoughts but admitted that the incident left a profound impact on his life. Six months were then spent in and around the hospital observing the goings on there. In fact, one of the strengths in the film is the way the atmosphere of a typical hospital has been captured. The crowded patient rooms, the hospital corridors, the rickety large lift, the staff of the hospital, its clinical rules have all been realistically and credibly depicted.

The beauty of the film is that it tells a very human story delicately and humanly. No melodrama, just simple storytelling leading to a strong emotional wallop at the end. Full marks to Director Sandeep Sawant whose debut film this is. Silences, looks, gestures have been extremely well used in the film. The efforts of the grandfather shattered by the thought of his grandson being blind but putting on a brave face in front of the child are brought out poignantly. The special bond shared between the grandfather and the boy is humanely brought out in both - the city sequences and the montage sequences of their life in the village.

Several moments linger on the mind long after the film is over - the doctor having to tell the child about his blindness, the setting up of the operation and the dismay of its postponement, the child's last few hours spent in the world of sight - in particular him amongst blind children feeling him all over or looking at the blind weaver continuing to weave effortlessly. And of course the two key scenes at the end - the scene between the doctor and the grandfather when the grandfather brings the child back to the hospital. The power of human emotion and time-governed professionalism come face-to-face here with human emotion winning out. And the final scene where the child is brought back to the village simply tugs at the heartstrings.

The film is aided by an absolutely stunning performance by Ashwin Chitale in the role of the boy Parshuram. The well-known French actor Maurice Chevalier had once said - he was always scared of acting opposite animals and children. When you watch Shwaas you realize why. Children have a way of giving totally unaffected performances and they steal every scene they appear in effortlessly. It is amazing to see the way Ashwin's face lights up at the bribe of a chocolate or see him throw a temper tantrum when his operation is postponed. He is spot on in each and every scene thoroughly deserving his National Award. Arun Nawade as the grandfather and Sandeep Kulkarni as the doctor also render extremely convincing performances. True, there are the flaws too - the performance of the medical social worker for one. Amruta Subhash strikes one as fake and a little filmi in the context of the film. The village montages too could have been trimmed. Admittedly while they are to serve as a contrast to the mad rush of city life and also to represent what the child is losing, they have been dealt with more like picture pretty postcards that seem to go against the realistic grain of the rest of the film and appear too carefully thought and staged. But these are minor cons in an otherwise extremely fine effort.

It is well known by now that a whole 50 years after a Marathi film last won the Best Film Award at the National Awards (Shyamchi Aai (1953)), has another Marathi film won the same honour. It is also well known now that Shwaas is India's official entry to the Oscars and efforts are on round the clock raising funds for its Oscar campaign. Let it be said well deserved on both counts. For once the powers that be should be congratulated for choosing this film to represent India at the Academy Awards compared to the inane films we largely send year after year futilely.