film(Sixth Happiness)(1997)

Sixth Happiness is a 1997 British drama film directed by Indian director Waris Hussein. It is based on the autobiography of Firdaus Kanga entitled Trying to Grow ...

Sixth Happiness
Directed by	Waris Hussein
Produced by	Tatiana Kennedy
Written by	Firdaus Kanga
Based on	Trying to Grow
Starring	Firdaus Kanga Souad Faress Khodus Wadia Nina Wadia Ahsen Bhatti
Music by	Dominique Le Gendre
Cinematography	James Welland
Edited by	Laurence Méry-Clark
Production company	Arts Council of England BBC Films British Film Institute (BFI) Kennedy Mellor
Distributed by	Regent Releasing Dreamfactory Mongrel Media here! Films
Running time	97 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Sixth Happiness is a 1997 British drama film directed by Indian director Waris Hussein. It is based on the autobiography of Firdaus Kanga entitled Trying to Grow. Kanga played himself in this film about Britain, India, race and sex.
Sixth Happiness is about Brit, a boy born with brittle bones who never grows taller than four feet, and his sexual awakening as family life crumbles around him. It is also about the Parsi or Parsees - descendants of the Persian empire who were driven out of Persia by an Islamic invasion more than a thousand years ago and settled in western India. Parsees had a close relationship with the British during the years of the Raj. Brit is named by his mother, both after his brittle bones, and in tribute to his mother's love of Britain.
Brit's family is non-stereotypical: his parents are ardent Anglophiles with fond memories of the Raj and World War II. Brit is bright, spiky, opinionated and selfish with a razor-sharp wit, never a martyr or victim. He prefers the Kama Sutra to Shakespeare and does not allow gender or disability to come in the way of his desire for sex and love.
Sixth Happiness also features performances from Souad Faress, Nina Wadia, Indira Varma, and Meera Syal.

Cast

Firdaus Kanga as Brit Kotwal
Souad Faress as Sera Kotwal
Khodus Wadia as Sam Kotwal
Nina Wadia as Dolly Kotwal
Ahsen Bhatti as Cyrus
Mahabanoo Mody-Kotwal as Jeroo
Nisha K. Nayar as Tina
Indira Varma as Amy

Sixth Happiness (1997) - IMDb

www.imdb.com/title/tt0127289/

Rating: 7.2/10 - ‎124 votes

Drama · The unusual story of a boy who will never grow. Born with a disease that makes his .... Ultimately, the use Kanga as narrator, which makes the film self-aware of its breach of the usual conventions of casting, is probably the biggest ...

The unusual story of a boy who will never grow. Born with a disease that makes his bones brittle, Brit, as he is appropriately named by his mom, will be four feet tall for life. But he ... See full summary »

Director:

Waris Hussein

Writer:

Firdaus Kanga (autobiography)

Stars:

Firdaus Kanga, Souad Faress, Khodus Wadia | See full cast & crew »

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
	Firdaus Kanga	...	Brit Kotwal
	Souad Faress	...	Sera Kotwal
	Khodus Wadia	...	Sam Kotwal
	Nina Wadia	...	Dolly Kotwal
	Ace Bhatti	...	Cyrus (as Ahsen Bhatti)
	Mahabanoo Mody-Kotwal	...	Jeroo
	Nisha Nayar	...	Tina (as Nisha K. Nayar)
	Indira Varma	...	Amy
	Roger Hammond	...	Father Ferre
	Sabira Merchant	...	Madame Maneckshaw
	Noshirwan Jehangir	...	Doctor
	Dara Madon	...	Old Parsee Man
	Viju Khote	...	Wagh Baba
	Dina Chinoy	...	Musical Daughter
	Vijay Damania	...	Bank Clerk (as Vijaysen Damania)

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Storyline

The unusual story of a boy who will never grow. Born with a disease that makes his bones brittle, Brit, as he is appropriately named by his mom, will be four feet tall for life. But he doesn't think small. He has his own spirited way of dealing with the world, and the cast of characters that surrounds him helps ensure that life is never dull: an eccentric mom, a dad with movie star looks, a doting sister, and numerous other mentors, lovers (both male and female), and charlatans who come in and out of the picture. Written by Anonymous

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Genres:

Drama

Parents Guide:

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Details

Country:

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 October 1997 (USA) See more »

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK See more »

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$1,540 (USA) (5 November 1999)

Gross:

$1,540 (USA) (5 November 1999)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arts Council of England, BBC Films, British Film Institute (BFI) See more »

Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

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Did You Know?

Connections

References The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958) See more »

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User Reviews

Should be required viewing in schools, uplifting

1 July 2000 | by pyotr-3 (Washington DC) – See all my reviews

This film is very uplifting, and what a shame that folks like Jesse Helms & the Republican Congress would never allow it to even be shown in schools. It would transform lives. This film shows a man taking lemons and making lemonade - a great lesson for all. A magnificent role model for all, and just think how much HOPE this film could give to disabled and gay children of all ages. If only we had intelligent leaders who actually cared about the disabled and the gay.

The main character is real, so the film is a kind of part-real, part-acted re-enactment of his life. And by the end of the film, you feel as if you have learned something about dealing with adversity. What a shame we have so few films which do this.