At a time when violent and ‘A’-rated films are in vogue, Little Thomas attempts to offer a refreshing change with its innocent, family-friendly narrative. However, it has its share of shortcomings.
The story of the movie: Set in the early 1990s, the film revolves around Thomas Miranda (Hridansh Parekh), who lives in Goa with his father Desmond (Gulshan Devaiah) and mother Jessie (Rasika Dugal). Desmond runs a bakery established by his father. However, the business is struggling, especially with new players entering the market following the liberalization of the economy. Their family friend Reuben (Aseem Hattangadi) is getting married but hesitates to place an order for his wedding cake with Desmond. Reuben persuades Jessie to sell the bakery to a large company that has expressed interest in acquiring it. However, Desmond is adamant about not selling his family business. Meanwhile, Thomas desperately wants a baby brother. Curious to know where babies come from, he asks his parents, who hesitate and refuse to give him a proper answer. This only fuels Thomas’ curiosity, and he sets out on a mission to discover the truth.
Little Thomas’ biggest strength is its simplicity. The characters, their mischief and their fights – all seem very relatable. Amidst this realism, writer-director Kaushal Oza has neatly woven in the track of Thomas’ mission to find out where babies come from. The other crucial track, involving the bakery, also makes for an engaging watch. An interesting aspect of the film is the reference to the ‘cooling charge’, wherein shopkeepers would charge an extra rupee for serving chilled soft drinks. This was a common practice at one point, and such details evoke a sense of nostalgia.
On the other hand, for a film marketed as a children’s entertainer, Little Thomas often gets too heavy, especially during the confrontations between Desmond and Jessie. At 127 minutes, the film feels unnecessarily long, as the makers stretch the premise beyond its potential. Ideally, Little Thomas should have been shorter, with a runtime of around 90 to 100 minutes. The climax is sweet but also simplistic, as the problems in the characters’ lives get resolved rather conveniently and quickly.
Hridansh Parekh is adorable and delivers a natural performance that never seems rehearsed. He is so effective that he even overshadows the seasoned actors in several scenes. Gulshan Devaiah is aptly cast and makes his presence felt through his silences and vulnerability. He is particularly impressive in his introductory scene and the pre-climax. Rasika Dugal, as always, delivers a terrific performance and gets completely into the skin of her character. Mahabanoo Mody-Kotwal (Mrs Braganza) leaves a mark in a small role. Sanjay Motilal Gurbaxani (Father Lopez), Aseem Hattangadi, Preeti Sharma (Cynthia), Faezeh Jalali (Confession Lady), Mukund Bhatt (Kaalsao Uncle) and Uday Chandra (Johnson; band member) lend able support. Among the child actors, Hridyaansh Gokani (Nigel) and Ninad Pandith (Murthy) also perform very well.
The film has very few songs, and none of them are particularly memorable. However, the picturization of ‘Itna Hai Tumko Batana’ is sweet. Mayukh and Mainak‘s background score is in sync with the film’s theme and Goan setting.
Dorian Lucarelli‘s cinematography is appealing, and the picturesque locales of Goa are beautifully captured. Vikram Singh and Parul Rai‘s production design and Smiti Kaur’s costumes are authentic and effectively recreate the early 1990s. SM Rolling FX‘s VFX could have been better, particularly in the monkey sequence. Amit Malhotra‘s editing could have been sharper.
Kaushal Oza‘s story is simple, innocent and heartwarming. It beautifully captures the curiosity of childhood and puts a smile on one’s face. Kaushal Oza‘s screenplay does justice to the interesting premise, though the narrative loses steam at certain places. Kaushal Oza‘s dialogues are cute and funny, while the confrontational scenes feature conversations that seem straight out of life. However, certain dialogues are difficult to comprehend, and hence, subtitles should ideally be provided in all prints.
Kaushal Oza‘s direction is decent. He tells a story rooted in childhood innocence, even though the questions asked by the kids are far from innocent. He balances both these aspects nicely and ensures that Little Thomas remains suitable for family viewing. Although the scenes involving the parents’ fights are crucial to the narrative, they also make the film unnecessarily serious. In Hollywood, children’s films like Home Alone, Stuart Little, etc. provided entertainment without getting too heavy. Little Thomas had the potential to be an Indian answer to such films, but alas, it falls short.
On the whole, Little Thomas is a simple, heartwarming family entertainer that works due to its innocent premise, adorable performances, nostalgic setting and some genuinely lovely moments.
My rating – *** out of 5!