A Billion Colour Story

A Billion Colour Story was primarily shot in black and white, making up about 90% of the film. I'm still pondering whether director Padmakumar Narasimhamurthy made the right call with that choice. I bet the cast, including Dhruva Padmakumar, Gaurav Sharma, Vasuki, and Rashmi Somvanshi, are wondering the same thing.

The film is thoughtfully crafted, tackling themes of tolerance in a world that's increasingly divided by violence, racism, and distrust. There are moments of darkness that highlight a growing sense of hopelessness, suggesting that humanity is often at odds with itself, and many are in conflict. One of the key characters argues for the need to believe that not everything is lost, emphasizing that the inherent goodness in people still exists. The kid learns that we need more love stories instead of revenge tales, and more real-life heroes rather than just superheroes. Unfortunately, the ending seems to suggest that this film aims to remind us of the importance of believing in one another, rather than waiting for a mythical savior who may never come-something that could be seen as blasphemous by various religious groups.

The black-and-white cinematography is striking, and the performances from the cast are solid, but the dialogue often feels overly preachy and hard to take seriously.