2011 · Film
I Am Kalam
Nila Madhab Panda's drama about a poor Rajasthani boy working at a roadside dhaba who dreams of an education after learning about President APJ Abdul Kalam.
Reviewed by Movie Mandala, Sun, 18 Oct, 2026
Where to watch
IndiaAs of 18 October 2026, I Am Kalam is streaming in India on Prime Video with a subscription.
With subscription
Checked Sun, 18 Oct, 2026Open ↗
The story
Chhotu, a bright boy from a poor family in Rajasthan, is sent to work at a highway dhaba run by Bhati to help support his mother. He is cheerful and quick to learn, and longs to wear a uniform and go to school. He secretly befriends Ranvijay, the young heir of the royal family that runs a nearby resort. When Chhotu sees President APJ Abdul Kalam on television at the Republic Day parade, he renames himself Kalam and decides he wants to become like him.
Spoiler-free: only the set-up.
Who it suits
A short, gentle drama of under an hour and a half about child labour, friendship across class lines and the right to education, suitable for children and parents to watch together. Prime Video lists it as U.
Curation to help you choose, not a review.
Background
I Am Kalam was produced by the charity Smile Foundation and directed by Nila Madhab Panda, from a story and screenplay by Sanjay Chauhan. It was shot in Bikaner, Rajasthan. The film was screened in the market section of the 63rd Cannes Film Festival on 12 May 2010 and toured film festivals before Ultra Media & Entertainment released it in Indian cinemas on 5 August 2011. A special screening was held for APJ Abdul Kalam at his New Delhi residence on 29 July 2011.
Harsh Mayar won the National Film Award for Best Child Artist, sharing it with two other children, and Sanjay Chauhan won the Filmfare Award for Best Story. The film also won Best Feature Film at the Lucas Film Festival in Germany. Rajeev Masand and The Indian Express's Shubhra Gupta each rated it 3.5 out of 5, and Hindustan Times gave it 3.
The facts
- Language
- Hindi
- Hindi
- Hindi original
- Genre
- Children's drama, Social drama
- Runtime
- 87 min
- Director
- Nila Madhab Panda
- Cast
- Harsh Mayar, Hussan Saad, Gulshan Grover, Pitobash Tripathy, Beatrice Ordeix
Questions people ask
- Where can I watch I Am Kalam in India?
- As of 18 October 2026, I Am Kalam is streaming in India on Prime Video with a subscription.
- Is I Am Kalam in Hindi?
- Yes. I Am Kalam is a Hindi-language film.
- How long is I Am Kalam?
- I Am Kalam runs for 1 hour 27 minutes (87 minutes).