Tahaan(2008)
Tahaan (also known as Tahaan – A Boy With a Grenade) is a 2008 Indian Hindi-language drama film written and directed by Santosh Sivan. The cast includes Purav Bhandare, Anupam Kher, Sarika, Rahul Bose, Rahul Khanna, Victor Banerjee, and Fatima Sana Shaikh. The story follows eight-year-old Tahaan as he searches for his pet donkey Birbal in the conflict-ridden Kashmir Valley. Along the way, he is manipulated into carrying a live grenade by a teenage rebel. The film is notable for being shot on location in Kashmir after an 18-year gap. It received positive reviews and was praised as a 'visual poem' by critics. It won multiple international awards, including at the Olympia Film Festival in Greece and the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
Quick Facts
- Streaming on
- Amazon Prime Video, ShemarooMe
- Theatrical Release
- 5 September 2008
- Director
- Santosh Sivan
- Language
- Hindi
- Runtime
- 1h 32m
- Rating
- 7.4/10
Storyline
An eight-year-old boy named Tahaan loses his beloved donkey Birbal to a moneylender. He follows the man who bought Birbal into the dangerous mountains of Kashmir. On his journey, a teenager tricks him into carrying a live grenade. Tahaan must choose between violence and his own innocence.
“A boy. A donkey. A grenade.”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Where to Watch
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Reunion Meter
Frequent partnerships reunited for Tahaan
Cast reunions in this film: Anupam Kher & Sarika (2 films together).
Trivia
- The film's young lead, Purav Bhandare, was discovered by director Santosh Sivan at a school in Mumbai.
- The donkey in the film, named Birbal, was a trained animal actor who had previously worked in other Indian films.
- Much of the movie was shot on location in the challenging and remote terrain of Ladakh, standing in for Kashmir.
- The film's soundtrack features a rare vocal performance by the famous composer, M.M. Kreem, in the song 'Zindagi'.
- Despite critical praise, the movie had a very limited theatrical release, focusing more on film festival circuits.
- Santosh Sivan, also the cinematographer, used natural light extensively to capture the valley's raw beauty and mood.
- The story subtly uses the child's perspective to comment on the cycle of violence, without showing explicit combat.