There's a scene in Santosh Sivan's Tahaan in which a group of Kashmiri kids play make-believe militants. That scene, more than any other scene in this film, succeeds in demonstrating just how well the director understands the themes he's dealing with in his new film.
Tahaan is a heartwarming story of the friendship between a young Kashmiri boy and his faithful childhood companion, a donkey.
It's the story of a difficult journey the boy is willing to undertake to bring back his donkey, who has been separated from him.
But Tahaan is also the story of present-day Kashmir and cross-border terrorism, and of course, of the test that the little boy is put to in the name of unconditional friendship.
Unfolding at a leisurely pace, Sivan's film addresses so many relevant and important issues but you've got to be alert to notice.
On the surface, it's a simple fable, almost Iranian-film like in its treatment, but think hard and you'll agree it packs in so much all at once. I'm going with 8 on 10.
It's a film of great virtue
