Film Appreciation:
ICC and film screening
K S Sivakumaran
On September 9 the ICC (Indian Cultural Council) in Colombo held its
first meeting of the ‘Friends of ICC’ with the patronage of the Indian
High Commissioner Ashok K Kantha. Several VIPs in Colombo from different
fields of activity were present at the centre housed at 16/ 2 Gregory’s
Road, Colombo 7.
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Paradesi |
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Ore Kadal |
Apart from other activities beneficial to both Lankans and Indians,
the ICC is also planning to screen outstanding films made in the major
languages in India –both classics and contemporary.
That’s good. Most Lankans do not realise that India does produce not
only Hindi and Tamil films, but also quite a number in indigenous
languages. And some of those films are artistically made. I can vouch
for this statement because having been a student of film appreciation at
the prestigious Pune Film Institute and a regular delegate at the IFFI
(International Film Festival of India) and the KIFF (Kerala State
International Film Festival) for more than two decades I could speak
with some firsthand knowledge and enjoyment.
In this week’s column, I wish to suggest some recent Indian regional
films that the ICC can screen even in the DVD form at the Centre.
Most of such films have adult themes which probe into different
aspect of human relationship that had not been discussed or portrayed or
depicted. In that sense they extend the range of experience without
being perverse or vulgar.
However, when the 21st century has opened the windows very widely
through most modern modes of communication thus prompting among educated
and learned people to see things with an intellectual perception, these
films too can be shown to limited audiences acquainted with artistic and
serious cinema. On the other hand well-made popular entertainers among
such films from India - the Bollywood, Kollywood and Tollywood kind -
could be shown to the masses thus making them happy. As a literary and
film critic, I avoid as far as possible to retell in full the storyline
and instead concentrate on aspects of cinema in a historical context and
mainly try to express my personal reactions to the films seen. But in
this instance too I shall give briefly the themes of the films
recommended.
First let us take a few Malayalam films. Paradesi (The Foreigner)
Dilemma of an 80 year old Malayalee who had worked in Karachi during the
British India treated as a Pakistan spy in India on his return since he
did not possess an Indian passport although his family members are all
Indian citizens.
Thaniye (Alone) The unexpected revival of a dying old man that defies
the machinations of his relatives to swindle his wealth at his death
bed, and the sincerity of his nurse who revived his health with
dedication.
Kaiyoppu (Signature) is about the attempt of a writer to get his
unfinished novel published and his relationship with a female college
friend who admires his writing. She meets him after her marriage had
failed.
Ore Kadal (The Sea Within) - An unmarried intellectual who is
alcoholic encounters life with a happily married young woman who leaves
her husband to be with the elder intellectual. Unni (Life is all about
friends) - The common concern of a high caste Malayalee boy and his low
caste school friends transcending barriers.
These are not all in Malayalam, there are many more from outstanding
Malayalam directors. They too could be considered screening here.
I learnt that C V Sreeraman was a very prominent writer in Malayalm.
His five short stories had been translated into the cinematic medium.
They too can be enjoyed by the Lankans. The films are: Purushartham
(directed by K R Mohanan), Chidambaram and Vasthuhara (directed by
Aravindan), Ponthanmada (directed by T V Chandran). The latter film was
composed of two short stories by Sreeraman.
Of the above four films I enjoyed thoroughly the two films by
Aravindan and mildly the film made by T V Chandran.
The films made in Dravidian languages like Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada,
Telugu and Aryan languages like Bengali, Hindi, Marati, Gujerati, Oriya,
Assameese, Kashmiri, Konkani and Sanskrit could also be shown here.
Besides the full length feature films, short films and documentaries
too could be made available from India.
The ICC, while helping us to see great Indian films should make it
possible to see outstanding Lankan Sinhala feature films and notable
Lankan Tamil and Sinhala short films to wider audiences in the Indian
subcontinent.
Films apart, literature and fine arts too could be exchanged among us
people in the southern hemisphere.
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