How Long Is “Tahaan”?

A boy refuses to be separated from his best friend despite his family's poverty in this drama from filmmaker Santosh Swan. Tahaan (Purav Bhandare) is an eight-year-old boy living in rural India. Tahaan's father disappeared when he was five, and his mother (Sarika) cannot speak, so the family struggles make ends meet on the pension his grandfather (Victor Banerjee) receives and the meager income his older sister can earn. The family's dire circumstances aren't helped by the fact they're deep in debt to a neighborhood loan shark (Rahul Khanna). One of the few joys in Tahaan's life is his pet donkey Birbal, who he dotes on; when grandfather dies, the family is forced to sell nearly everything of value that they own in order to pay their debts, including Birbal. However, Tahaan is determined to get his beloved donkey back, and he hatches a clever plan that includes making friends with the animal dealer who bought him (Anupam Kher). Tahaan: A Boy With A Grenade received its North American premiere at the 2009 Palm Springs International Film Festival.