Elham (film)

Elham follows Faizan, a 6 or 7-year-old boy from a modest Muslim family who performs well in school but struggles with mathematics. As Eid al-Adha (Bakrid) approaches, he, like other children, wishes for a sacrificial goat but is mindful of his family's financial situation. His father, a cotton carder, eventually brings home a goat for the ritual. However, Faizan forms a deep bond with the animal, seeing it as a companion rather than a sacrifice. A Sufi mystic, inspired by Ibn Arabi, helps him navigate his emotions and understand faith, love, and sacrifice.^[6]

As the festival approaches, Faizan becomes determined to protect his beloved goat, Dodu, experiencing a quiet yet deeply moving journey of compassion and resilience.^[6] The story is set in the village of Dariyabad in Barabanki district,^[7] located in the Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh.^[3][6]

• Taiyo Chan as Fatima
• Tot Chan as Faizan
• Mahmood Hashmi as Rafique
• Gunnit Kaur as Safina
• Umesh Shukla as grandparent
• Tarun Shukla as Hermit

Elham is produced by Raj Kishore Khaware, Utpaal Acharya, Vickey Prasad, Shivraj Khaware, Vikas Yadav and Rati Tandon.^[3] The cinematography is by Ankur Rai,^[8] with editing by Surya Kant Verma. The film's music is composed by Vickey Prasad.^[8][2] The film was produced under the banner of Content Engineers and Jungle Boy Entertainment.^[2] It is a Hindi-language film but also incorporates dialogues in the Awadhi dialect.^[8]

The film is inspired by the director's childhood experiences and his exposure to Korean cinema, particularly Kim Ki-duk's Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring.^[4]

Elham premiered at the 21st Dhaka International Film Festival in Bangladesh in January 2023.^[9][10] The film was screened on 28 May 2024, at the Rainbow International Film Festival.^[2] In India, it was screened at the Kolkata International Children's Film Festival at Nandan-1 on 22 January 2024.^[11]

The film was an official selection and was screened at the 10th International Film Festival of Shimla in August 2024 at Gaiety Heritage Cultural Complex, Shimla.^[12]

The film made its Asia premiere at the Jagran Film Festival at Siri Fort Auditorium, New Delhi in December 2024.^[5][13] It was screened at the Jagran Film Festival across multiple cities, including Delhi,^[5] Prayagraj,^[14] Raipur,^[8] and Agra.^[15]

The film Elham had a special screening at Aligarh Muslim University on 28 February 2025.^[16]

The film received generally positive reception, with critics noting its depiction of childhood innocence and its exploration of faith and tradition.^[6][4] Anuj Kumar of The Hindu noted that Elham carries an old-world innocence often missing in contemporary children's cinema.^[4] Rama Shanker Singh, in a review published in The Wire, remarked on the film's artistic depth and visual composition, observing, "Elham stands out for its artistic subtleties and stunning visual appeal."^[17]

Film critic Manish Jaisal, writing for Hindi daily newspaper, Subah Savere, described the film as a rare and noteworthy film centered on childhood, calling it a "milestone in Indian cinema".^[6] While he felt Mehmood Hashmi's performance as Faizan's father could have been stronger, he praised Guneet Kaur's portrayal of Faizan’s mother.^[6]

Hindustan Times noted that Toyo Chan and his real-life sister, Tot Chan, convincingly portrayed Faizan and Fatima despite their Buddhist background.^[18] Avdhesh Mallick of The Free Press Journal described Elham as an attempt to "revive" the genre of children's cinema and praised the director's approach.^[8]

In January 2023, Elham was selected for the Dhaka International Film Festival in Bangladesh as India's official entry and was the only children's film among the three selected from the country.^[1]

In May 2023, it was selected for screening at the Rainbow International Film Festival in London, where it was the only Indian children's film featured.^[2][18] In December 2024, the film was chosen as the opening feature of the 11th Kolkata International Children's Film Festival.^[11]