Baitullah Review: Short Film on Child Labour by Mukul Madhav Foundation and Finolex Industries

‘Baitullah’ has become a huge hit in the international film festival circuit. Earning standing ovations and nominations in prestigious film festivals like Moonwhite International Film Festival, Indian Film Festival of Cincinnati, Global Impact Film Festival, and Lampa International Film Festival. 

Mukul Madhav Foundation and the CSR arm of Finolex Industries have been working consistently towards uplifting the marginalized sections of society, and the short film, “Baitullah” aligns with their philosophy perfectly. Ritu Chhabria, the managing trustee at Mukul Madhav Foundation comments, "This film asks the question that started us on our journey of working with the marginalized and vulnerable children. How could each child enjoy the things we take for granted in our lives? We set out to put things in place, one small block at a time.".

Baitullah has been released on YouTube and it is a must-watch for everyone. Written, directed, and produced by Jitendra Rai, Baitullah follows the story of a young child labourer - Baitullah and portrays a glimpse of his life. Baitullah is stuck between his identities, on one hand, he is just a little child - interested in being carefree and spending his time playing with friends - and on the other hand, he is a laborer who has to work for a livelihood and suffers abuse from his employer. 

We cannot say that everyone turned a blind eye to Baitullah’s plight because no one thought of his situation as unsettling and worth sympathizing with. With the prevalence of child labor in this country, the stories of children like Baitullah seem commonplace and regular. Everyone accepts that Baitullah is a worker and actively makes use of his tea-delivery services. 

Watching the film does make the viewer uncomfortable and even injects a sense of shame in us because there is high chance that we too would not step in to save such child laborers. Baitullah makes us question our own actions and beliefs and how we too are party to the plight of child laborers. Unlike some films that would have opted for the “happily-ever-after” trope at the end, where our Baitullah is saved and given a better life, here we see life as it is. Despite everything, Baitullah goes back to work in the same conditions while the world around him moves on. 

Baitullah’s cinematography is immaculate and would have been the winning point in any other film, but the cinematography is paired with an even stronger and more impactful script. It is one of the most important and thought-provoking watches of the year and gives the right push to us common men to advocate for children’s rights.