Sheru with his beloved camera, is a symbol of his dreams to capture life through a different lens. (Image source: Say Cheese film poster)There is no attempt to frame his life as exceptional. Instead, Dutta’s film situates Sheru within the everyday rhythms of the city—at tea stalls, on crowded pavements, and in the narrow lanes where work is negotiated and time is spent between tasks. He sells popcorn, clears tables, and takes up whatever work is available, not as a narrative arc but as a pattern that repeats.
A Story Rooted in Real Life
Dutta first met Sheru at a filmmaking workshop when he was nine. It was here that he handled a camera for the first time, an experience that appears to have stayed with him. Years later, she encountered him again through the Children’s Development Khazana initiative run by the NGO Butterfly, which works with street-connected children through savings programmes. By then, Sheru had already spent several years living independently, supporting himself through small jobs and managing modest earnings.
The film does not construct a backstory through exposition. Details of Sheru’s early life—his departure from home, his adjustment to street life—emerge in fragments, often in passing. What takes precedence is the present: how he navigates the city, how he speaks to people, and how he returns, repeatedly, to the idea of owning a camera.
The film does not construct a backstory through exposition. Details of Sheru’s early life—his departure from home, his adjustment to street life—emerge in fragments, often in passing. What takes precedence is the present: how he navigates the city, how he speaks to people, and how he returns, repeatedly, to the idea of owning a camera.
Dutta’s method is observational. She does not intervene or impose a commentary track that directs the viewer’s response. Instead, the film builds through moments—conversations with friends, pauses between work, and the occasional humour that surfaces in everyday interactions. In one sequence, Sheru speaks about photography not in abstract terms, but as something immediate and functional: a way to engage with people and record what he sees around him.
The city, too, is not treated as backdrop but as an active presence. The film moves through spaces that are often overlooked—temporary work sites, side streets, and informal gathering points—without aestheticising them. There is little attempt to make these locations visually striking; the emphasis remains on continuity rather than contrast.
The Struggles of a Street Kid
Say Cheese has been screened at forums such as Tokyo Docs and the Woodpecker International Film Festival, where it has been noted for its restrained approach. Dutta’s earlier films, including Toxic Trail and Womb on Rent, have similarly engaged with subjects tied to labour and social structures, often avoiding overt narration in favour of long-form observation.
What distinguishes Say Cheese is its refusal to resolve Sheru’s story. The film does not build toward transformation or closure. By the end, his circumstances remain largely unchanged—he continues to work, to save, and to express a desire for a camera that remains financially out of reach. The absence of resolution appears deliberate, aligning the film with a documentary tradition that prioritises process over outcome.
Capturing the Essence of Street Life
One of Dutta’s strengths as a filmmaker is her sensitivity to authenticity. She adopts a non-intrusive filming style that allows Sheru’s story to unfold naturally. Many scenes are shot at a distance to respect Sheru’s privacy, such as his visit to his mother in Delhi’s infamous GB Road, the city’s largest red-light district. Dutta’s decision to film from afar creates a raw, immersive experience for viewers while preserving the integrity of the narrative. In these quiet yet powerful moments, Sheru’s complex relationship with his family, particularly his estranged mother, adds a deeply personal layer to his journey.
The choice to show Sheru’s environment, including Delhi’s hidden alleys and bustling bylanes, brings a sense of place to the film. We see the layered realities of Sheru’s world — places filled with both opportunity and danger, where he carves out a life on his own terms. As Dutta explains, her goal was not to make the film “beautiful” but to reflect Sheru’s unfiltered life, showcasing both the vibrancy and shadows of street life in Delhi.
The Impact of Say Cheese
There are moments, however, where the film gestures towards connection. Sheru’s interactions with his friend Sumit introduce a lighter register, marked by teasing and occasional support. These exchanges, though brief, offer a glimpse into the informal networks that sustain him.
Dutta’s presence in the film remains largely behind the camera, but her long association with Sheru informs its access and continuity. The documentary does not foreground this relationship, yet it shapes the ease with which conversations unfold.
In its structure and tone, Say Cheese avoids the familiar arc of hardship leading to redemption. Instead, it remains attentive to duration—the repetition of work, the waiting between opportunities, and the persistence of an aspiration that is neither romanticised nor dismissed. The film’s restraint lies in allowing these elements to exist without emphasis, leaving interpretation to the viewer.
