Writer/director Savita Singh’s Shadow Bird (Sonsi) is the story of a girl and her magical bird. In a mythical Indian village where it never stops raining lives Nudi (Aarohi Radhakrishnan), a special girl. Every morning just before dawn, the Shadow Bird — known as Sonsi — visits her, landing on the windowsill, bringing great joy to the start of Nudi’s day. When Sonsi leaves, the mysterious Time-Keeper (Jameel Khan) walks through the village ushering in the new day. He is an odd man who casts no shadow.
One day, her father asks the Time-Keeper to fix his clock. In doing so, the Time-Keeper spots Nudi and tells her that he knows she sees Sonsi every morning. However, the next day the Shadow Bird is nowhere to be found. Suspicious of the Time-Keeper, Nudi heads off to find the Time-Keeper, Sonsi, and answers about the mystical jungle in which her village is located.
“…Nudi heads off to find the Time-Keeper, Sonsi, and answers about the mystical jungle…”
The magic of this short fantasy comes not from cheesy computer effects but the use of a shadow puppet to represent Sonsi and the lush beauty of the Indian jungle. Like many films coming out recently, Shadow Bird may yet be another call to escape the Urban life we’ve resigned ourselves to and return to the simplicity of what nature has to offer. Either way, the film gives us a rare glimpse of the natural beauty and mythical origins of other parts of the world that we may never visit.
Shadow Bird is a simple yet beautiful tale of a little girl and an older man’s perspective on time and how it is not that different on opposing ends of a lifetime. Savita Singh’s film will enchant you as the jungle enchants Nudi.
"…Singh's film will enchant you..."
