Chidiya, the acclaimed independent Hindi film directed by Mehran Amrohi, is now streaming on WAVES OTT, giving audiences another opportunity to discover its story of two brothers, childhood dreams and resilience. The film’s latest digital availability expands its reach following its limited theatrical release and earlier availability on Amazon’s rental platform.
The new streaming release gives Chidiya a wider audience for a film built around the simplicity of childhood and the ability to dream despite difficult circumstances. At its centre are two brothers, Shanu and Bua, who grow up in a Mumbai chawl and find a sense of freedom through their imagination. When they discover an abandoned junkyard, the boys transform the space in their minds into a badminton court, turning an ordinary and constrained environment into a place where their ambitions can take flight.
The film explores childhood not through spectacle, but through the small acts of imagination that allow children to look beyond their circumstances. The brothers’ dreams are supported by their mother and the community around them, giving the story an emotional foundation rooted in family, aspiration and resilience.
Written and directed by Mehran Amrohi, Chidiya had a long journey before reaching audiences in India. The film was completed nearly a decade ago, during which time it travelled through the international festival circuit. Its festival journey included the Zlin International Film Festival in the Czech Republic, Cinekid Festival in the Netherlands, South Asian International Film Festival in the United States, Spirit of Fire International Film Festival in Russia and the International Film Festival for Children and Youth in Iran.
The film eventually received a limited theatrical release in India, followed by its digital rollout. Its earlier Amazon rental release allowed viewers to watch the film without requiring a subscription, helping extend its reach beyond its theatrical audience.
Chidiya has also attracted attention for its sensitive treatment of childhood and its grounded storytelling. Rather than presenting its characters through conventional dramatic tropes, the film uses their everyday surroundings and imagination to explore what it means to hold on to a dream when circumstances offer very little.
The performances form an important part of that approach. Vinay Pathak and Amrutha Subhash bring warmth and realism to the adult characters, while Inaamulhaq and Brijendra Kala add to the film’s grounded ensemble. The young actors, including Svar Kamble, Ayush Pathak and Hetal Gada, remain central to the emotional experience of the story, carrying the film’s perspective on childhood and ambition.
The film’s visual and emotional language is also closely connected to its setting. The Mumbai chawl is not simply a backdrop but part of the world that shapes the brothers’ imagination. The contrast between their limited physical surroundings and the possibilities they see within them becomes one of the film’s defining ideas.
With Chidiya now streaming on WAVES OTT, the film gets another opportunity to find viewers beyond its festival and theatrical journey. Its latest digital release makes the story more accessible while bringing renewed attention to an independent Hindi film built around childhood, dreams and the courage to imagine something larger than the world immediately around you.
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