Arquivo

A smal desert town on the edge of western India’s famous salt plains is the unlikely home of the world’s largest population of Charlie Chaplin impersonators. The Charlie Circle of Adipur embraces businessmen, shopkeepers, a doctor who prescribes Chaplin movies for medicinal purposes, teachers, engineers, students and a three-year-old pre-schooler. They all share a passion for the silent film star, with his twirling cane, wobbly walk and agitated eyebrows. Award-winning Australian film-maker Kathryn Millard stumbled across the beguiling Charlie Circle during research for another film project. She was immediately invited to join their 116th birthday celebrations, which included a parade of Charlie look-alikes through town along with dancing girls, floats, strolling musicians and a camel. Would she do them the honour of bringing the grand centerpiece: the birthday cake? And just any cake, but the one in the shape of a boot, as homage to the famous scene in The Gold Rush, where the starving Tramp boils and eats his own boot. We meet a host of Charlie devotees: Dr. Aswani, the founder of the Charlie Circle, Tollywood and Bollywood megastar Kamal Hassan, young aspiring actor, Viswajeet and the urbane Mumbai Charlie, Prevan. We ponder the spiritual resonance felt by so many people for the battler with his toothbrush moustache and baggy pants.