Kids of the Majestic
Every day, a sea of passengers floods the Majestic Railway Station of Bangalore City, India. Beneath the commotion of commuters, a group of orphans live beneath the station, collecting the trash that the passengers have left behind.
“Kids of the Majestic” is a documentary by Dylan Verrechia and Dr. Suhas Radhakrishna that follows a group of such orphans: Rafik, a smiling young drug addict; Mental Manja, nicknamed "mental" because he didn't speak until he was 10; Arun-Badur, the artist and the writer; Baba, who at 8 has travelled throughout India alone; and Joti, mother-to-be at 16, who was abused at 9.
The filmmakers befriended these children who, uneasily and slowly, opened up to them, sharing their life stories as no one before has ever heard. This documentary upholds a strong moral content by not only depicting the reality and hardship of these children, but also the positive aspect of this social group that works within its community.
Winner of the United Nations endorsed Artivist Film Festival for Best Feature Children’s Advocacy, and screened at Tribeca and the Egyptian Theatre.
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Dylan Verrechia
Writer/Director
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Dr. Suhas Radhakrishna
Producer
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Basuraj
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Arun-Badur
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Fakrudin
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Ishmael
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Joti
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Kumara
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Mental Manja
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Rafik
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Shivkumar
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Valekumar
Cast & Crew
Writer/Director: Dylan Verrechia
Producer: Dr. Suhas Radhakrishna
Associate Producer: Allison Albino
Arun-Badur
Baba
Basuraj
Ishmael
Joti
Fakrudin
Kumara
Mental Manja
Rafik
Shakina
Shivkumar
Valekumar
Music: A.R. Rahman, Karavika
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
You can make a difference by supporting the organization BOSCO, a not-for-profit who serve children on the streets of Bangalore.
The organization reaches out to children who are “at-risk”. They network with the government and advocate for their rights and dignity.
You can reach out to them directly by clicking on their website:
Press
Platform Magazine, Article by Shahnaz Siganporia (Vogue India)
The quiet shades of exile in a short film about an Algerian refugee, a real yet surreal coming-of-age feature film in the border town of Tijuana in Mexico and now a documentary film about the orphaned children who have found a home in the Majestic railway station of Bangalore.
Dylan Verrechia born to a Danish mother and a French-Italian father in Paris, was aroused by the pangs of storytelling and found himself studying film-making in New York. Dylan's filmography is as multicultural as his lineage and each film honestly explores the multifaceted aspects of identity, situation and context. This new-age independent filmmaker explores life and individual lives through his art and has created a very moving, real and honest piece of cinema with "Kids of the Majestic".
The hustle and bustle of a railway station anywhere in India cannot go by unnoticed, the gamut of faces and voices become overpowering sounds and figures, falling into place as part of the scenery that we more often than not just pass by. And in the daily routine of schedules, arrivals and delays, is a community of orphans and runaway children collecting trash that passengers have left behind. Dr. Suhas Radhakrishna and Dylan befriended a bunch of these kids in Bangalore and began documenting their lives. Rafik, a smiling young drug addict; Mental Manja, nicknamed "mental" because he didn't speak until he was ten; Arun-Badur, the artist and the writer; Baba, who at eight has travelled throughout India alone; and Joti, mother-to-be at sixteen, who was abused at nine - become the focus of this film.
A feature length documentary that according to Dylan, "is simply for people to learn about the children who live in the shadows of society. It is to tell the story of the pains that caused them to run away from home and the ramshackle communities and families that they created on their own. It is about their hopes and their struggles. There is no overt moral message in the film, but we hope that it motivates people and opens their minds."
