Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, known for globally acclaimed films like ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ and ‘Kennedy’, is all set with his next production venture ‘Little Thomas’. The film stars Gulshan Devaiah and Rasika Dugal in the lead roles and also features child actor Hrdayansh Parekh.

‘Little Thomas’ is set to have its world premiere at the upcoming Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM). Apart from Kashyap, the film also stars Ranjan Singh, Rajnikanth Ojha, Charu Ojha, Anushka Shah and Kabir Ahuja.

Kashyap was impressed with the vision of National Award-winning director Kaushal Ojha, who made his feature directorial debut with the film, for ‘Little Thomas’. It is based on the tragi-comic efforts of a seven-year-old boy to bring his parents together and give birth to a younger brother.

“I had seen Kaushal’s short film ‘The Miniaturist of Junagadh’ and loved it. Then I read the script of ‘Little Thomas’ and understood his vision for it. He wanted to make a real children’s film, creating the world from a child’s perspective. The honesty of his approach helped in making the film,” Kashyap said.

Set in Goa of the 90s, the film is the story of Thomas, the only child of his parents who wants a younger brother. The synopsis of the film reads, “One day he is told that to get a younger brother, he has to kiss his parents. Since his quarreling parents don’t kiss anymore, little Thomas forces them to do this disgusting thing!”

The film also marks Kashyap’s return to children’s films, having previously made the animated film ‘Return of Hanuman’ (2007). “Yes, it’s been a while. Maybe I was waiting for a good children’s film script. It’s a really difficult genre, to make an authentic children’s film, so one has to make sure the script is good before making it,” the filmmaker said.

Actor Gulshan DevaiahHaving started his career with Anurag Kashyap’s ‘That Girl in Yellow Boots’ and worked with him in projects such as ‘Shaitan’ and ‘Hunter’, describes Little Thomas as a film that ‘brings a smile to my face’.

Gulshan said, “It is a sweet and lovely film and I am so happy that it is being screened at IFFM. The most special thing about Little Thomas is its story and the beautiful innocence that exists in its world. Rasika is a brilliant actress whom I have admired for a long time. She is extremely professional and dedicated to her work. I am lucky to have had the opportunity to work with her.”

Calling Little Thomas ‘a beautiful and lyrical story’ about the simple life of a Goan family, actress Rasika Dugal said, “I was drawn to the script of ‘Little Thomas’ because I felt it was a beautiful and simple story, yet it wasn’t simplistic. Technology has given us so much in filmmaking that sometimes, I feel the soul of a film gets drowned in the glitz and glamour.”

He further added, ‘Little Thomas’ had none of that. It was committed to its narrative without any unnecessary frills. Also, the script had an interesting sense of humour, which I enjoyed a lot. I am glad that the film is premiering at IFFM, and will be seen first by the kind of audience that festivals like IFFM always attract – a discerning audience with a great appetite for fun. I am curious to see how they will respond to our film.’

Director Kaushal Ojha, an alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India, said that the team auditioned over 700 children to find Thomas and his companions. He further added, “Everyone is seven years old at least once in their life. When we grow up, we miss the innocence of childhood. I wanted to capture the innocence and imagination that we had then and want to have today. Everyone who read the script loved it, but making a film like this is a challenge. When this team of producers read the script – they laughed, they cried – they supported it completely. Also, casting the children was the biggest challenge.”

‘Little Thomas’ is produced by Luminoso Pictures, Civic Studios, Flip Films and Good Bad Films.