Child of slum, queen of chess

Set in a shanty Ugandan town, Mira Nair's Queen of Katwe is a heart-warming film based on a true story

Queen of Katwe and Mira Nair were made for each other. The Indian-American film maker's signature strengths are all there - a story set amidst the noise, colour and bustle of a developing country and featuring an uplifting, heartwarming tale of slum-children who find a way to survive and thrive. There is no director who could do better justice to this combo, and Nair doesn't disappoint in this Disney film.

The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10 and arrived in US theatres a couple of weeks later. (In India, it will release in October.) Queen of Katwe is based on the true story of a Ugandan girl, Phiona Mutesi, an accidentally discovered chess prodigy who went on to become a national champion. Her ascent was aided by a Christian minister who taught the game to the children of Katwe, a shanty town in Kampala, Uganda's capital.

The title role of 10-year-old Phiona is played with plenty of pluck and grace by newcomer Madina Nalwanga, while David Oyelowo of Selma is inspiring as her mentor and coach, Robert Katende. But the reigning monarch of this film is Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o who delivers a jaw-dropping, feisty performance as Phiona's single mother, Harriet.

Nair's touch can be seen from the first frame, as the screen is enveloped in an explosion of colour, accompanied by incredibly catchy music. The dialogues are in thickly accented English, including some endearing local touches like the word "clothes" pronounced with its "e" sound.

While searching for a job as an engineer, Robert starts teaching chess to slum kids as part of his ministry work and discovers a surprisingly strong pool of talent. Phiona, who has little time for such leisure activities, having to sell maize on the streets to help her mother feed their family, is drawn in one day after following her brother to the shed where the children - mostly boys - play. But she quickly learns the rules and impresses Robert, who recognises her special talent.

He has a tough time arranging opportunities for Phiona and the other children to play, coming up against the dismissive prejudice of Ugandan chess officials, until then only used to catering to wealthy students of elite schools; Phiona and gang don't even go to school. Robert also has a challenge on his hands convincing his young charges that they can take on the rich students and win.

The no-nonsense Harriet at first has to be persuaded by Robert to allow Phiona to develop her game. Harriet has many concerns - how will she afford Phiona's new expenses, who will sell her share of the maize, what good would it do her daughter to dream big and have no means of realising those dreams - and she conveys them all forcefully to Robert. Once she understands her daughter's unique gift, her maternal love and pride shine through, and she declares to a fellow street vendor that Phiona would not follow her path.

The script is fairly straightforward, with several emotional highs and moving moments. The children are spirited, witty, and sometimes… just children. Robert imparts life lessons through chess, and sometimes, real life dishes out far harsher lessons. The spirit of the story is so universal that you can easily imagine this film set in an Indian city.

Nair also manages to keep the chess action visually interesting by injecting plenty of humour. The predictably happy ending is immensely satisfying, and by the time we are introduced to the real characters portrayed in the film, everyone is cheering for them.

Queen of Katwe depicts the triumph of spirit over adversity, but even if you're not looking for any deeper meaning, it's a great movie to watch with family.