In essence, Little Thomas revolves around its titular protagonist Thomas who, one day, is struck by a curiosity — how are babies born? Ofcourse, it’s a tricky question for his parents to navigate, but somewhere around interval point, it appears like Thomas’ loving neighbour Mrs Briganza might finally give away the big secret. Debutant feature filmmaker Kaushal Oza builds the intrigue, only to reveal that some walls cannot be broken down so easily. Adults often hide their complicated world from kids, which is why kids create a world of their own. They come up with kooky ideas, determined to make sense of the world one way or another, even as their adult counterparts struggle to do so. Little Thomas works the best when it embraces this intertwined world between childhood and adulthood.

Directed by: Kaushal Oza

Cast: Gulshan Devaiah, Rasika Dugal, Hridaansh Parekh, Ninad Pandith, Mahabanoo Mody-Kotwal, Mukund Bhatt, and Hridyansh Gokani

The title may allude otherwise, but this film is not just about Thomas and his parents Desmond (Gulshan Devaiah) and Jessie (Rasik Dugal). It’s equally about his friends Nigel (Hridyansh Gokani) and Murthy (Ninad Pandith). Even as Thomas remains stuck to his question amidst many highs and lows, because it’s also connected to his eventual desire for a baby brother, the trio comes up with many ideas about reproduction, evolution, gravity, shiny apples, or how the earth perhaps is collection of countless straight-line journeys. The kids and their theories are so far-removed from the complexities of adulting that you can’t help but smile at the cute chasm. Kaushal Oza does a great job at capturing the inner life of a child.

However, for a while, Little Thomas appears too self-satisfied with its cutesy vibe and low stakes. It’s all conventionally light-weight, while carrying the baggage of being too familiar and predictable. Kaushal Oza also struggles with his child artistes, who appear a little too raw, although endearing in their screen presence. Some of the detours, like the one with the confession lady (Faezeh Jalali), don’t land well. In certain portions, it also appears too sanitised and polished for a story about a family struggling to make ends meet. Jessie feels compelled to sell the piano, and Desmond is forced to fire their old loyal employee, and yet you long to see the rough edges that come with financial despair. The beautiful aesthetics unfortunately come in the way of staging a portrait with the melancholy it deserves.

It’s only when the narrative chooses to delve into the other big conflict of the film — the rocky marital life of Desmond and Jessie — is when the ball gets rolling. As Thomas continues to hit a dead end despite his earnest attempts, the narrative suddenly acquires an air of unpredictability, surprising you with its sweetness once in a while. For instance, the post-wedding function sequence where the couple relives a little of their youth after obliging their little one for a dance, has a certain old-school charm that wins you over with its warmth. The execution is shaky, the script is a little patchy, but the emotion lands in the second half. Also, like two responsible adults, Gulshan Devaiah and Rasika Dugal carry the film on their shoulders through its most feeble stretches. Rasika, in particular, brings an astounding solemnity to her role as Jessie.

Desmond, on the other hand, is one adorable protagonist. He is adorable because he is decidedly a black sheep in a fast-moving world. He still uses his 75 year old recipe for the cake, even when he struggles to sell them to his patrons. His friends have lost faith in his baking skills, MNCs are setting up base in his sleepy little town, but Desmond remains adamant about his principles, so honest that a seemingly-harmless act of levying cooling charges to his costumers is dishonesty in his book. His naivete is both disarming and frustrating, because you want him to succeed.

Just like Desmond, who is too particular about his business methods and his life principles by extension, there is a stubbornness to the way Kaushal Oza paces his film. Little Thomas is consciously unhurried and languid, even at the risk of getting too laidback in its rhythms. Early on in the film, Jessie, who is a piano teacher, goes out of work because kids are now more into video games than learning music. The film is set around 1994, but the moment is strangely relevant in 2026. Despite all its flaws, Little Thomas is also a sweet, heartwarming reminder of how we need more quiet and melody in our lives instead of the relentless chase of the adrenaline.