Kaushal Oza’s directorial debut, ‘Little Thomas’, is a heartwarming and hilarious feature about family, sacrifice, and most importantly, how babies are made.
All seven-year-old Thomas Miranda (Hridansh Parekh) wants is a younger brother. The only problem is, Thomas doesn’t know how babies are made. And even if he did, his parents are fighting too much to make one.
But Thomas is determined to get a brother. He asks his friends, the church, his parents, and his nanny how babies are made, and he gets absurdly different responses from each. But this doesn’t stop Thomas from testing his theories. What follows is wacky hijinks, for example, when Thomas gives his mother an apple, believing that if she eats it, a baby will be born.
Little Thomas is also grounded by the subplot between the parents, Jessie Miranda, played by Rasika Dugal, and Desmond Miranda, played by Gulshan Devaiah. In this storyline, Jessie and Desmond can’t stop arguing over Desmond’s failing family bakery and their lack of money. What they don’t seem to notice is that Thomas sees them fight. Their almost loveless marriage fuels Thomas’s quest for a baby brother.
Thomas and his schemes reminded me of the 1998 The Parent Trap starring Lindsay Lohan — only in Little Thomas, Thomas isn’t trying to get his parents back together, he’s trying to keep them together, by making them kiss.
The film is backed by a whimsical score, composed by Mayukh Mainak. The scoring is bright and cheery, and a great addition to the two scenes of the film where Jessie, Desmond, and Thomas are brushing their teeth. The strings match each move of the toothbrush. Towards the middle of the film, while Jessie and Desmond are fighting, fast and harsh strings emphasize the tension between them, while poor Thomas watches.
Dugal, Devaiah, and Parekh give great performances as the Miranda family. Parekh is especially a standout, who charmed me within the first few minutes of the movie. Degal and Davaiah devastated me during the climax of the film, where they are forced to confront the consequences of their fighting.
Little Thomas is a delightful first feature, filled with whimsy, family fun, and love. Little Thomas is playing at the New York Indian Film Festival on June 22.
