A ride through the mountainous terrain; immersed in the snow clad region of the Himalayas and overwhelmed with the pleasant environment of Manali, Chhota Bheem: Himalayan Adventure is a thorough blend of adventure and humour. A creation of Green Gold Animation Studio with the direction of CEO and founder, Rajiv Chilaka, this film is another feather to the hat of the Chhota Bheem franchise.
For one and a half hour of the animated feature, you will surely find yourself skiing in the snowy terrain and playing with snowballs as a major portion of the film consists of the same. Focusing on adding quality humour, the film revolves around various mischievous playful acts of Chhota Bheem and his friends that may make adults giggle a bit but cause children to roll about in laughter!
Based on the blend of ‘Good over Evil’ and the ‘Reign of Superhero’, this film too features the lead character Chhota Bheem to the rescue of Manali town from the clutches of the villain Hidanbuk and his gang. Along with Kung Fu and muscle power due to his laddoos, Chhota Bheem leads the fight with skiing and sword fighting. Moreover, along with laddoos in this film, Bheem and his friends are munching something more to gain energy- Parle G biscuits which have been merchandised. It may appear funny but can be a smart tactic to promote the brand.
Background is one thing that one should look forward to in this film. It can be said that the feel of the snow clad Himalayas is brought out quite evidently! The 3D creations of the pine trees, high mountains, tall peaks, humongous slopes, furnished palace and the expansive night sky coupled with actual snowfall may for an instance remind you of Frozen but still India has a long way to go! To summarise in a sentence, this effort of Green Gold is a new venture displaying the talent and ability of India which deserves applause.
Storytelling has been the basic goal of Indian animators and this film too has a central story which is simple yet quite effective. There is nothing majorly new in the central plot but there is a twist in the tale. Scriptwriter, Teja Pratap and Rajiv Chilaka have added few miniature plots to enhance the central plot. So, Bheem has to win over the evil but there is not one but quite a few reasons that lead him to destroy the evil in a more outrageous way. Both the characters and plot unfold gradually till the interval.
Costumes, characterisation and use of props all add to the basic funda of highlighting the feel of the white Himalayas. Unique use of props like parachute, bombs, smoke bombs, swords, bow and arrow, rope add innovation to the cliché fight that we have seen all this while in the franchise.
Music touches the right chord within you. The entire story and the intensity of every scene is dominated by the background music. Be it skiing or planning against the villain; fighting or having a gala time with friends, the use of music is meticulously attractive and will keep you hooked to the story. The two songs in the film though have a lyrics that only children may find amusing, the dance steps and music may leave an imprint on adults as well. There is no doubt that we would find kids humming this song just like we find them after a Salman film.
If the characters were in 3D, this film could reached a notch higher! But, Green Gold has experimented to create 2D characters with a 3D background and it has worked well. Just that, the 3D characters could have created another world in the minds of the viewers and also done justice to the well groomed 3D CGI backgrounds.
Apart from the usual village set ups, laddoos and traditional costumes, the film observed a huge waterfall, the snow clad Himalayan terrain, Kung Fu while skiing, 2D with 3D and Chhota Bheem and his friends donning the winter apparels denoting that Green Gold Animation has taken the risk to bring about a paradigm shift from their animation. Though the film makers have experimented with this film, it might work in their favour due to Chhota Bheem’s well established identity and Himalayan Adventure’s simple yet power packed story with an array of adventure topped with a flavour of humour. If you wish to adventure to the Himalayas then just walk into theatres near you come 8 January, 2016.
