Indian Cinema and Its Impact on Society by Amrit Gangar
My comments My class notes
Summary from the Program Hindi cinema produced in Bombay, now superficially well known as Bollywood is essentially a generic cinema that pervades India. But of late the products of Mollywood (Madras) have quite markedly influenced its aesthetic strategies while Tollywood (Tollygunge, Calcutta) has been constructing its popular idiom following Bollywood. Hindi cinema is also considered as an "all-India formula film" [critic Chidananda Das Gupta]. However, one has to be cautious not to generalize Hindi cinema as such. As it is well known India produces a massive number of feature films in many different languages, including several dialects. In 1999, the total number of films produced, in as many as 35 official languages and dialects, was 601 - up to October but one could add about 30 - 40 feature films to this number up to end December, 1999. The production figure has been steadily stead ily declining since 1990 when India produced little less than a thousand films a year. The debate, however, keeps going whether it's cinema that influences society or vice versa. Most of the dominant formula films get their narrative base, in one way or another, from the two Indian epics Mahabharata and Ramayana. The dream merchants seem to be knowing this fact well to extract an impact as wide as possible for a box-office success. This holds true of the t he generic Bollywood, including television. The reality that obtains in southern India (esp ecially in Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh) is substantially different from that in northern India. The cinema politics nexus in Tamilnadu, for instance, is quite interesting. All five chief ministers who have governed Tamilnadu since 1967 have been associated with cinema. "The
immense popularity of film as an entertainment form and its emergence in Tamilnadu as a major cultural preoccupation underscores the significance of the role of audiovisual communication in Tamil society." [S. Theodore Baskaran] Superstars MGR and NTR - doyens of Tamil and Telugu cinema respectively - were quite active in regional and national politics. The social impact of the cinema in India is also seen in the nationwide popularity of film-based programs on various television channels. It's mostly the young generation that has been caught up by the film-song programs. Popular film song has gone very deep into the Indian collective memory and conscience. In a nutshell, my presentation will take up some concrete examples of what impact the cinema has on Indian society by and large - including how the classical villain eventually turned into a hero or how social values underwent a certain change. Popular films have even been changing people's dress and hair styles; in Bombay, I remember even shoes would be branded after a box-office hit film. The cinema's social impact is reflected in the way censorship operates in India. In colonial India, the local, police controlled, film censorship, was mainly political in nature , but in postcolonial India it has acquired moralistic overtones; I'll touch upon some recent examples in this realm. I think it's the state that constantly finds itself insecure vis-avis society at large and artists in particular. All said and done, the cinema hasn't yet shed its mystical hallow in India.
My Notes Indian Cinema - Amrit Gangar - in Gujarat cinemas are Ministry of Finance (usually culture) - audiences "interact" with films, tell characters on screen what to do
President Pratibha Patil today said cinema was a very potent modium for conveying a message and had bcome an important factor in influencing social norms. "Cinema operates within the context of a socialscenario and, thus, has a stake in the stability, prosperity and progress of society," she said after presenting the 57th National Film Awards here this evening. "Therefore, all involved in the film industry should consider themselves as social leaders and as stakeholders in the welfare of people. Striking a balance between entertainment and social relevance is an essential call for the industry and the response will define its role in society," she said. Veteran film producer D Ramanaidu received the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke Award for his lifetime conribution cinema at the ceremony, which also saw Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan being given a standing ovation as he received the Best Actor Award for his role in the Hindi film Paa. Bacchan played the role of a boy suffering from progeria, a rare congenital abnormality characterised by premature and rapid aging in the highly acclaimed film. Mr Ramanaidu was chosen for the Phalke Award for 2009 for his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema during a long career of nearly half a century in which he has made scores of entertaining films and been involved with all aspects of the industry. Malayalam movie Kuttysrank, directed by Shaji N Karun and starring superstar Mammootty in the lead role, has been chosen for the Best Feature Film Award. Ananya Chatterjee got the Best Actress Award for Abohoman (Bengali) which also won for Rituparno Ghosh the Best Direction Award. The President said she was glad that films continued to generate interest and attract talent. She said technologies like the digital format, being affordable, provided an opportunity for young and budding filmmamers to experiment with the medium. She appealed to the industry that, while experimenting with the format, they also needed to keep in mind the content of the films they were producing. "This will take your work to a wider audience," she said. Minister of Information & Broadcasting Ambika Soni said 2013 would be celebrated as a centenary milestone to showcase the cinematic heritage of the Indian film industry in the last 100 years. India's firstfeature film "Raja Harshchandra" was released in 1913. She said that, for this purpose, a national committee would be constituted consisting of eminent film persons and other stakeholders to suggest a comprehensive plan for making it a truly memorable event for cine lovers. Ms Soni said the celebrations would also offer an opportunity to applaud the young iconic members of the film industry for their contribution, while at the same time positioning India as a "soft power" at the global level.
President Pratibha Patil presenting the Best Actor Award toAmitabh Bachchan at the 57th National Film Awards function in New Delhi on October 22, 2010. Minister for Information andBroadcasting Ambika Soni is also seen.
She said that it was her endeavour to complete three institutional mechanisms to mark the occasion. These included the Museum of Indian Cinema in Mumbai, the National Centre of Excellence for Animation, Gaming and Visual Effects in Pune and the National Archival Heritage Mission to cover the country¶s rich archival wealth by 2013. The National Archival Heritage Mission would not only safeguard the rich archival wealth, it would also ensure accessibility to the people in digital format. The winner of the Best Film Award, Kuttysrank, which means a boat captain in Malayalam, tells the story of a mariner who operates a cargo vessel between the port towns of Kerala. It is told from the perspectives of three women after the death of the protagonist, who each experience a different Kuttysrank. The Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director went to Lahore (Hindi) directed by Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan and produced by Vivek Khatkar. Bollywood blockbuster 3 Idiots, starring Aamir Khan, got the award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. The Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration was given to Delhi 6 produced and directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. Another Hindi film, Well Done Abba, produced by Reliance Big Pictures and directed by Shyam Benegal, was chosen the Best Film on Social Issues. Putaani Party in Kannada and Keshu in Malayalam were chosen for the Best Children's Film Award. Both were produced by the Children's Film Society of India. Putaani Party was directed by Ramchandra P N and Keshu by Sivan. Farooque Shaikh was chosen the Best Supporting Actor for Lahore and Arundhati Naag the Best Supporting Actress for Paa. Rupam Islam got the Best Male Playback Singer Award for Mahanagar@Kolkata (Bengali) and Neelanjana Sarkar the Best Female Playback Singer Award for Houseful, another Bengali film. Cameraperson Anjuli Shukla won the Best Cinematography Award for Kuttysrank.
The following are the other awards presented today: Best Screenplay: Kuttysrank, Screenplaywriter original: P F Mathews and Harikrishna : Kanasemba Kudureyaneri (Kannada): Screenplay writer (adapted) : Pasanga (Tamil): Dialogues: Pandiraj Best Audiography: Kaminey (Hindi): Location Sound Recordist: Subash Sahoo : Kerala Varma Pazassi Raja (Malayalam): Sound Desinger: Resool Pookutty : 3 Idiots: Re-recordist of the fi nal mixed track: Anup Dev Best Editing: Abohomaan, Arghyakamal Mitra Best Production Design: Delhi 6, Samir Chanda Best Costume Designer: Kuttysrank, Jayakumar Best Make-up Artist: Paa, Christein Tinsley and Dominie Till Best Music Direction: Dev D (Hindi): Music Director (Songs): Amit Trivedi : Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja, Music Director (Background Score): Ilayaraja Best Lyrics: 3 Idiots: Swanand Kirkire, "Behti Hawa Sa Tha W oh" Special Jury Award: Kaminey (Hindi), Kuttysrank, Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja (both Malayalam) Best Special Effects: Magadheera (Telugu), R Kamal Kannan Best Choreography: Magadheera, K Siva Shankar Best Feature Film in Languagues in Schedule VIII of the Constitution: Assamese: Basundhara, Producer, Director: Hiren Bora Bengali: Abohomaan: Producer: Reliance Big Pictures, Director: Rituparno Ghosh Hindi: Paa, Producer: AB Corp Ltd, Director: R Balakrishnan Kannada: Kanasemba Kudureyaneri, Producer: Basanta Kumar Patil, Director: Girish Kasaravalli Konkani: Palatadcho Munis, Producer: National Film Development Corporation, Director: Laxmikant Shetgaonkar Malayalam: Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja, Producer: A M Gopalan, Director: T Hariharan
Marathi: Natarang, Producer: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd., Director : Ravindra Harishchandra Jadhav Tamil: Pasanga, Producer: M. Sasikumar, Director: Pandiraj Special Mention: Padmapriya (certificate only) NON-FEATURE FILMS: Best Film: The Postman, Producer: K Hariharan, Director: B Manohar and Bilal, Producer, Director: Sourav Sarangi Best Debut Film of a Director: Vaishnav Jan Toh, Producer: FTII, Director: Kaushal Oza, and Rituparno Ghosh Eti Kaktaliyo Golpo, Producer: FTII, Director: Tathagata Singha Best Compilation Film: Pancham Unmixed, Producer, Director Brahmanand Singh Best Environment Film, including Agriculture: In for Motion, Producer: Amlan Dutta Director: Anirban Dutta Best Film on Social Issues: Mr India, Producer, Director: Haobam Paban Kumar Special Jury Award: Kelkkunnundo, Child artiste: Aasna Aslam Short Fiction Film: Boond, Producer: Kumar Mangat, Director: Abhishek Pathak Best Cinematography: Gaarud, Cameraman: Deepu S. Unni, Laboratory : Adlabs Best Audiography: Gaarud, Re-recordist (final mixed track) : Lipika Singh Darai Best Editing: In Camera, Editor: Tarun Bhartiya Best Narration/Voiceover: In Camera, Best Voiceover : Ranjan Palit Special Mention: Vilay: Cinematographer: Nitika Bhagat (certificate only) BEST WRITING ON CINEMA: Best Book on Cinema: Cinema Yaana (Kannada), Publisher Hasiru Prakashana Author: Dr. K. Puttaswamy Special Mention: Eka Studioche Atmavrutta, Prabhakar Pendharkar (Certificate) Best Film Critic: C.S. Venkiteswaran (Malayalam) NNN
SOCIAL ROOTS OF INDIAN CINEMA ± Raghunath Raina y
September 24, 2010 5:28 pm
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Culture, Focus
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no comments
The social reality gets invariably reflected in the cracked mirror of Indian cinema, some times realistically and some times elliptically. But under the glamour of realism, the harsh facts of life invariably peep out. This is so because however, escapist or realistic cinema may be, it cannot remain unaffected by political and social mileu. An overview of last thirty years shows how Indian cinema has come to terms with the fast changing political-economic scene of India. The decade of 1970 thus saw two distinct trends in Indian cinema, although both reflected directly or otherwise, the growing disenchantment of the people with the prevailing system. This was heightened by yet another war with Pakistan resulting in the birth of Bangladesh; declaration of Emergency during which civil liberties and personal freedoms were extinguished; the electoral defeat of the ruling Congress party at the Centre for the first time since Independence; and emergence of the first coalition government in Delhi. It was a period of unprecedented changes, a virtual breakdown of democratic institutions, systemic rot, sharpening of disparities and rise of a non-ideological, self-serving political cl ass. All this got reflected in the parallel cinema and resulted in some outstanding films by Mrinal Sen and Budhadeb Das Gupta in West Bengal; G. Arvindan and Adoor Gopalkrishnan in Kerala; B.V. Karanth, Girish Karnand, Girish Kasarvalti in Karnataka; Shyam Benegal, Basu Chatterjee, Basu
Bhattacharya and Avtar Kaul in Mumbai. They were soon followed by M.S. Sathyu, Mani Kaul, Kumar Sahni, Jabbar Patel, Govind Nihalani, Saeed Mirza, Biplab Roy Choudhury and Ketan Mehta. These film makers departed from song and dance formula films, brought out the rich variety of Indian experience and growing existential problems of the people. They exposed the exploitative power structure and focussed on increasing bush fires of social discontent. On the other side of the cinematic divide, popular films made the persona of Amitabh Bachchan the vehicle for portraying a dysfunctional system. Film after film, the Bachchan movies held that the solution to social maladies lay outside the democratic process. Bachchan represented the ³angry youngman´ who single-handealy fought evils of the society. Expectedly, these and other films in this genre glorified the cult of violence. They justified villainy; film time was devoted to extenuating circumstances that cause the hero to embark upon the path of revenge. This was rationalised by advocating that evil can be dispensed only with evil, thus trying to retain a sense of µjustice¶ in the moral universe created. The fall of Amitabh Bachchan in the 80¶s coincided with a major shift in politico-economic agenda of the country. The flickering fortunes of the Congress party put an end to an ideology, to an organisation and to an ethos. Regional, communal and caste-based formations came to the fore. This chaotic, direction-less phase aggravated the social and economic contradiction. This got reflected in diverse ways mostly in the regional cinema. Mrinal Sen¶sFamine, brought out the failure of the developmental process by depicting the unchanged conditions of the peasantry. The Malyalam film-maker Shaji Karan¶s filmPiravi, became a modern classic by its cinematic values and its theme echoing a real event during the Emergency when a young man disappeared after he was picked up by the police. The film is about the agony of the father who tries to trace his son. Such films made an impact in foreign film festivals. Mrinal Sen¶s film figured in the competition section of the Cannes International Film Festival. This was the first Indian film to contest for the coveted awards. This gave a boost to Sen¶s films which were taken by foreign film distributors. A package of about 50 Indian films was shown in eight cities of the United States. These included a historical section, a contemporary section and a complete retrospective of Ray¶s films. Another first was a retrospective of Ritwik Ghatak¶s films at the London Film Festival. In Mumbai, the 80s marked the dichotomy of Indian cinema. On the one hand it produced Govind Nihalani¶s film Ardh Satya about nexus between crime and politics. The protagonist, a conscientious police officer, takes law into his own hands after being frustrated by politicians to nab a mafia don. Mahesh Bhatt came on the scene by producing sophisticated commercial films. His Arth (1983) proved a great success. Although it dealt with the perennial lover triangle, its cinematic values set it apart. Even more importantly, the film ended by asserting the Indian woman¶s independence, a theme seldom attempted by Hindi films. These films were exceptions because Bollywood now plumped for the techniques and ethos of western television music channels. The dominant features of such films were dances with songs and sensual body movements presented by a voyeuristic camera. The new sexuality of these films was
modelled upon the pattern perfected by Madonna. This was successfully emulated by young Indian actresses. With the process of globalisation in the 90s the whole scenario changed, including that of Indian cinema. The new wave films resorted to sharper critique of commodification of culture while the popular ones escaped into traditionalism, family values, sanctity of relationship ± in fact all those aspects of social life which came under threat as a result of marketisation, foreign television channels and displacement of indigenous industries under the onslaught of multinational companies. These films gave the audiences a false sense of security and, as a result,became highly popular. The trend was set by Sooraj Barjatia¶s Hum Apke Hain Kaunwhich, with the help of 14 engrossing songs, created the illusion of happy joint families by glorifying wedding rituals. Ironically, in Barjatia¶s celluloid family, modernity is permissible but only in material terms- expanding business, sprawling bungalows and opulent interiors. Other films like Dil Wale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Dil To Pagal Hai and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai also pleaded for a behavioural code sanctified by tradition and custom like obedience to the patriarchal law, respect for elders and an overwhelming desire to belong to the fold, clan or community. Or, they celebrated love, friendship and commitment and the need to internalise conflicts. But is it hazardous to make generalisations about Hindi cinema. During the same period, film makers like Mani Ratnam (Roja), Gulzar (Maachis), Kaazad Gustad (Bombay Boys) Nagesh Kukynoor (Hyderabad Blues) and Deepa Mehta (Fire), made films which had individuality, explored new themes and imparted freshness to the film scene. All this shows the vigour and vibrancy of the Indian cinema and its tremendous capacity to keep abreast of changes. It is these qualities which have made Indian cinema a dominant urban culture influencing all other art forms : television, theatre, advertising, music, new modes of information technology, journalism, architecture, fashion and even the profiles of goddesses on calenders and in Puja pandals. Its influence has spilled into practical politics also. Tamil Nadu has been ruled by film personalities for decades and film clubs have become vote banks. In Andhra, it was again left to a film actor to restore ³self pride´ to the Telugus. Elsewhere, film actors, on the basis of their popularity, have entered into legislature, both in States and at the Centre. In the new millennium globalisation of information technology has changed the whole scene. Previously, the mass media convinced us that the imaginary was real, now they are convincing us that the real is imaginary. This poses a tremendous challenge to Indian cinema. But going by its record it is bound to surmount the challenge. .(PIB FEATURES)
"Movie with a social message is important for the young generation" : Priya Dutt Monday, April 10, 2006
Being blessed in the family of Late Sunil Dutt and Nargis Dutt, Priya Dutt didn¶t chose her carrier in the Bollywood Industry. Priya Dutt was in the launch party of music release of "UNNS" which was released under the banner of "Buneesha Films". Though she is least interested but still she was seen in launch party as she says that "mere papa ki bhaut yaadein jhudi hain is film ke saath".
Sunil Dutt was present in the mahurat of the movie and also the first shot was done by Sunil Dutt. The movie UNNS is dedicated to Sunil Dutt a proud Daughter of Sunil Dutt and also the chief guest of the event was there in the party to compensate the presence of Sunil Dutt. shares very good relations with director Bhupinder Gupta and had personal obligations which made her presence in the party. Rarely is it seen that stars from the Bollywood and Politicians had come together. Busy Bee of politi says that though she is not interested in getting into Bollywood movies but still she loves to be a pa world. Priya Dutt appreciated Bhupinder Gupta for making a film like UNNS which deals with the sanctity and said "the importance of a healthy marriage life seems to fade away and it is necessary to come message of social importance in the movies." Priya Dutt being a part of Parliament assured the dire an issue against piracy in the parliament. Talking about Sanjay Dutt case she said that "It has been 13yrs to Sanjay¶s issue and if we really w our power to stop this case my father would have done earlier : but we don¶t use power like this". P proud to be a part of Sunil Dutt¶s family and was not ready to answer any personal question. Being a part of parliament she really wants t children rights and child education.
Mr. Rajangam said that cinema was not the same as it was some two decades back. It had entered an era of mediated images, being circulated widely, and had become an inevitable part of everyday life. He also mentioned about the easy avai lability of DVDs and CDs of cinemas across the globe and how it turned to be the raw material for most of the films.
Highlighting Mr. Kaali's article on Vad ivel's comedy, which has been put forward for a n intensive reading, he explained how certain idioms a nd social markers of caste supremacy got inverted in his genre of comedy. He also talked about the significance of looking at caste and cinema from a different perspective and questioned why most of the films highlighted or portrayed a particular dominant caste and its practices to a state of normalisation by relating it with an identity, be it martial or south. Do market f orces have any influences? This needs to be studied, he said. Rajan Krishnan stated that cinema wa s a theoretically challenging subject, a very complex area of study which needed to be explored more. ³There is a crisis of academic criticism as we do not have separate disciplines such as cultural studies or film studies as in t he West, and even if it i s there, it is in a nascent stage.´ Citing an example of the West 's contribution to film theory and literature, he talked about how Italian neorealism films, which though hardly about a d ozen could generate close to 400 books dea ling about the various theoretical and technical aspects. ³We have prod uced more than 5,000 films but there has been a lack of proper criticism of those films.´ Ideo logical content of the films needed to be a nalysed and the journal would fill the gap, he s aid. Mr. Jeyamohan talked about the anxieties of being a dialogue writer and how commercial aspects influenced a writer irrespective of whether the film was a big budget one or even a documentary. He also talked about the various aspects of filmmaking of ye steryears and how certain descriptions were pre-em inently present like that of a huge dining table and a dressing table scene where the protagonist would be having food or the heroine chooses her sari from a wardr obe. Images depicting luxurious bungalows, luscious surroundings and sumptuous meals formed the part of the films because the theatres were the only space where the subaltern could view those extravaganzas. Mr. Kaali also talked about the evolution of Indian film research scenario and reminded about the contributions of major social scientists such as Ashis Nandy, Ravi Vasudevan, K arthigesu Sivathamby, Theodore Baskaran, MSS Pandian a nd Venkatesh Chakravarthy and promised that the journal w ould be looking at various aspects of cinema using major tools of criticism from popular culture and social sciences. V.M.S. Subagunarajan is the editor of the journal a nd Venkatesh Chakravarthy, MSS Pandian and Stephen Hughes are on the editorial board.
Art & Culture
Cinema Cinema is the popular art form which has been a good entertainer and a strong means of mass communication in Kerala from the previous century itself. It has the elements of different art forms including architecture and sculpture in it. The viewers in Kerala enjoy the films comprehending the reality in it. The possess high insight in distinguishing reality from fiction in the themes of exper imentalism. Malayalam Cinema has contributed much to the creative and critical analysis sectors of Malayalam literature. Kerala has a very r ich art and cultural background. Its films are unique in several aspects. Unlike the other linguistic films which have started off taking themes from the Puranas, Malayalam films have taken relevant social issues as its theme from the beginning. The all time geniuses like Aravindan, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, John Abraham, Ramu Karriat, P A Bakkar, K.G.George, M.T.Vasudevan Nair, Padmaraj an, Bharathan, T.V. Chandran, P.N. Menon, Shaji.N. Karun, K. P. Kumaran, K.R.Mohanan, Jayaraj... are the contributors of Malayalam to the world Cinema. Despite these facts now one can make a novel study of current cinema only in connection with the social life here. The first silent movie in Malayalam "Vigatha Kumaran" was screened in 1930, when movies abroad has already begun to 'talk' and by 1931 sound films were also made in India. That year, the second Malayalam film, "Marthanda Varma", based on a well-known historical novel by C.V.Raman Pillai, was made. Although sound films were produced in Hindi and Tamil regularly, Malayalam cinema had to wait till 1 938 to present its first sound film, "Balan". In t he first few years, Malaya lam films were virtually dominated by Ta mil producers. Whenever they suffered loss in Ta mil films, they ventured into Malayalam Cinema, as the investment requirements were comparatively lower. In 1947, the first major film studio, Udaya was established in Kerala and by the early 50s, more Keralites entered this field. When Hindi and Tamil cinema started off with mythological themes, Malayalam films showed an interest in dealing with social issues right from the ve ry first film itself (Balan). One of the biggest box office hits of the 50s was "Jeevitha Nauka" (Boat of Life, 1951). The film contained all the ingredients that were to form the basis for future commercial productions. The f ilm owed its structure more to the village festivals of Kerala than anything else. Cinema was seen as a mixture of various traditional art forms like music, dance, dan ce-drama, mimicry and so on. Connecting these various disparate elements was a storyline which often showed the triumph of the good over the evi l. It was in 1954 that Malayalam cinema got national attention by winning the President's silver medal for Neelakuyil. Scripted by a well-known novelist, Uroob, produced by T.K.Pareekutty, directed by P.Bhaskaran - who also played the key role, casted by the then leading artists like Sathyan and Miss Kumari, this film deals with the subject of untouchability. Melodramatic in style and filled with songs and da nces, the film was a big hit with the public. It wa s the teamwork of a number o f film enthusiasts who took time off their professions to live near the banks of the Periyar river in Central Ker ala discussing the script and other details of the film. There was d ifficulty in location shooting at that time. Also, studio faci lity was limited in Kerala. In spite of these limitations, they were bent on recreating authentic Kerala setting for the story. Props, household articles, costumes and other cultural artifacts were ma de and sent to Madras for the studio work. Most of the actors hailed from Kerala (at that time a novelty) and they performed in front of authentically constructed sets with all the manners and mannerisms of Ma layali characters. Even the lyrics were der ived from local folk traditions. This was at a time when Malayalam cinema had not established its cultural identity and was hardly distinguishable from the Tamil films of the time except for the spoken language. Another significant effort was Newspaper Boy (1955) made by a group of college students lead by enthusiastic N.Ramdas. It made use of new actors and tried to portray realistically the travails of an
orphaned boy. This film stands out from the re st, because for the first time it d ispensed with all the elements of the so called box office formula. When one looks at these early developments, one finds that Malayalam cinema had time to evolve on its own from its silent days. Much of the vi sual expression in international cinema was possible because silent film had enough time to germinate and mature by itself. But in the case of Malayalam film, sound arrived rather suddenly, and there was no need for Malayalam film makers to think of communicating through visual means. Everything could be spelt out through dialogues. Another aspect that nee ds to be mentioned here is the lack of exposure to international cinema. No matter, how sincere and competent the script wr iter and director were, the ultimate product ended up a s photographed dramas staged within studio sets. In the early sound films, there used to be less number of cuts and less number of ca mera movements. Storyline did not seem to be important. Different e pisodes were self-contained and they made social comments, sometimes directly, sometimes obliquely, while attempting to entertai n. There were parallel streams of storyline going on. All these traits could be found in Neelakuyil. It appears that there was not much pressure from the audience for a tight narrative. An unhurried, leisurely pace was acceptable for the viewers who enjoyed individual moments of the film more than a satisfying whole, although story was of primary importance. This was understandable especially when cinema was seeking to displace the pastimes of an agrarian society and the best way to do it was by maintaining a close equation to village fairs and festivals. The
literary connections
The practice of utilizing literary materials of repute as raw material for film scripts became more frequent in 1960s. When well-known stories and novels, mostly seria lized in literary journals, were made into film, it automatically introduced lot of cultural elements which w ere absent in the Malaya lam films of the 50s. Novels were preferred to other literary sources. The tendency to borrow literary material for film making was at its peak in the later sixties and early seventies. The combined effort of writers and directors had its impact on Malayalam film. The general standard of production went up. Since many of the literary materials were area-specific, films had to be shot on actual locations. This was something that was unheard of at least in Malayalam Cinema a decade before. Much of the difficulty in providing a realistic touch in a film like Neelakuyil arose from its studio-bound interior shots.
Sixties: Collective cinema 1965 marked the entry of short story writer and novelist, M.T. Vasudevan Nair (affectionately called MT in Kerala) whose writings by nature had a visual orientation. MT was exposed to cinema when he began scripting. Films based on his screenplays had a visual quality unmatched in the rest of the Malayalam films of the time. MT collaborated with camerama n-turned director, A.Vincent in making 'Murappennu' (Cousin/fiancee) in 1965. Though still theatrical and melodramat ic, 'Murappennu' had the advantage of bei ng shot extensively on location and had a strong v isual quality. When actors were placed in real locations like river ba nks, matriarchal family-abodes, gravel paths and paddy fields, they came out with an acting style freed from the theatricality inherent in studio-filming. The ultimate in collaborative w ork happened in 'Chemmeen' (Prawn) in 1 966 which won the President's gold medal for the first time for a South Indian film. Based on Thakazhy Sivasankara Pillai's well-known novel of the same name, the film had s creenplay by S.L.Puram, camera work by Marcus Bartely, editing by Hrishikesh Mukherji and music by Salil Chaudhury, all es tablished names in the Indian film industry. All these contributed immensely to the overall technical qua lity of the film. Its high cal iber publicity greatly aided by the gold medal secured before its commercial release and its technical flourish made a great impact on the audience. Its director, Ramu Kariat who had a few memorable films to his credit, got national attention with this effort.
A major landmark in Malayalam cinema was to come in the next year with 'Iruttinde Atmavu' (Soul of Darkness, 1967). With a screenplay by MT , P.Bhaskaran could make one of the best films of his career and also provide Malayalam cinema with a new direction; that of the low budget film. This happened strangely after the success of Chemmeen, the big budget multi star-cast film that got technical assistance from a n all -India crew! 1967 also witnessed the first Malaya lam film of a gradua te of the film Institute, Pune: P.M.Abdul Aseez's 'Aval' (She). Two years later, another graduate, John Sankaramangalam made 'Janmabhoomi' (Home land) with financial support from the Film Finance Corporation. Shot in Wayanad on the Western Ghats, a pristine location for film making, the film won a Presidential award for its theme of religious co-existence. By the end of the sixties, the trad itional Malayalam cinema had p roduced a number of good works, most of them based on reputed literary works by authors like Vaikom Muhammed Basheer, Pa rappurath, K.T.Muhammed, Thakazhy, Malayattoor Ramakrishnan, P.Kesava Dev and Thoppil Bhasi. The films include Odayil Ninnu, Yakshi, Kadalpalam and Ara Nazhika Neram (all directed by K.S. Sethumadhavan): Mudiyanaya Puthran and Chemmeen (by Ramu Kariat): Iruttinde Atmavu (by P.Bhaskaran): and Bhargavi Nilayam, Thulabharam, Asuravithu and Nagarame Nandi (all by A. Vincent). Towards
more visual expression
Reminiscent of the Italian neo-real ist films in its stark realism, the film to ld with immense visual appeal the story of an innocent Muslim girl of Ma labar. Reminiscent of the Italian neo-real ist films in its stark realism, the film to ld with immense visual appeal the story of an innocent Muslim girl of Ma labar. That was also the first authentic statement of the way of life of Malabar Muslims. It was remarkable for its accuracy of Muslim dialect, choice of location a nd art direction. However, the film's re luctance to part with conventions like songs and melodrama made it miss the mark of excellence. 'Olavum Theeravum', however, serves as an important link to the new decade in Malayalam cinema. Another significant effort was C.Radhakrishnan's "Agni". In the 70s efforts were to create conditions conducive to the survival of artistic cinema in Ke rala. A group of film enthusiasts had already formed a film society in Trivandrum, the first of its kind in the State. It conducted seminars and discussions on films apart from screening international classics. It encouraged the formation of other film societies throughout the state. As an o ffshoot of this society came the Chitralekha Film Co-operative, the first of its k ind in the country formed by a group of tra ined technicians with the intention of making artistic films. After a peri od of practice through documentary film making, the Cooperative attempted their first feature, 'Swayamvaram' (One's own choice) in 1972 with Kulathoor Bhaskaran Nair as Executive Producer and Ado or Gopalakrishnan as Director. Technically superb, the f ilm dispensed with the clichè of traditional cinema particularly with songs till then considered an essential ingredient in feature film. Although build on a weak narrative, the film was much ahead of all Malayalam films in its cinematic qualities. It launched a major film maker in Malayalam. The next year MT Vasudevan Nair came up with his own directorial venture, 'Nirmalyam' (Remains, 1973). M.T. was hesitant to shed all t he existing conventions but all the same produced a brilliant first work. Although still coming to grips with the medium, he was s ure of his characters and their relationships. Much of his pre-occupation with family relationships found ear lier in his screenplays was evident here too. In 1974, G.Aravindan who had established himself as the most intellectual cartoonist working in Malayalam them with his serial, "Cheriyamanushyanum valiya lokavum" ("Small Men and Big World") in a Weekly, made his first film, 'Utharayanam' (Throne of Capricon). Aravindan had no formal training in film making but his cartoon serial would have g iven him an opportunity to play with composit ion. His cartoon serial looked more like a story-board for a film! Aravindan demonstrated an extraordinary sense of visual expression and
composition like his predecessor, Adoor Gopalakrishnan. He wa s greatly aided by contributions from cameraman M.Ravi Varma and the art director, Namboodiri. During the last decade, Adoor Gopal akrishnan and Aravindan consolidated their positions in not only Malayalam Cinema but in Indian Cinema as well. Adoor made significant films like 'Swaymvaram', 'Kodiyettom', 'Elippathayam', 'Mukhamukham', 'Anantharam', 'Mathilukal', 'Vidheyan' a nd 'Kadhapurushan'. 'Elippathayam' won the British Film Institute Award for t he year 1982. Aravindan made films like 'Utharayanam', 'Kanchana Sita', 'Thampu', 'Kummatty', 'Esthappan', 'Pokkuveyil', 'Chidambaram', 'Oridath', 'Vasthuhara' and 'Marattom', films which dealt w ith diverse themes in a variety o f styles. Along with Adoor and Aravindan, Shaji Ka run also could enjoy international acclaim w ith the help of his haunting films-Piravi, Swam and Vanaprastham. Piravi is the first Malaya lam film which got entry in the Canne Film Festival. Other prominent film makers who made promising films include John Abraham. K.G.George, K.R.Mohanan and G.S.Panicker, all alumni of the Film and TV Institute of India, Pune and other like Bharathan, K.P.Kumaran, P.A.Backer, Padmarajan, Mankada Ravi Varma and Pavithran. John Abraham who set himself the untouched path of subversive cinema in his first Tam il Film, Argaharthil Kazhuthai, continued in the same vein in his Malayalam Films. Abraham could be credited with demystifying cinema's long evolved conventions and he succeeded really well in blending the theme and form w ith a dry humour (Cheriyachantae krurakrithhyangal and Ammayariyan). His unexpected demise in 87 caused a setback to the kind of film making that J ohn propounded. Some of the noted Malayalam w orks of T.V.Chandran in his directing career are 'Alicinte Anweshanam', 'Ponthenmada', 'Mankamma', 'Susanna' and 'Danny'. Lenin Rajendran has created some remarkable film like 'Venal', 'Chillu' and 'Meenamasathile Sooryan'. 'Janani' is considered to be one of the best films of Rajivnath who ha s been adjudged as the Best Director in the national level. Lohitha Das is considered to be one of best screenplay writers of Malayalam Cinema. But he has also proved his mettle directing some excellent films like 'Bhoothakkannadi'. Jayaraj started his career directing mainstream films and later slipped consciously or unconsciously into the arena of art films. Jayaraj whose films have got entry in many International Film Festivals, has directed some immortal films like 'Desadanam', 'Karunam' and 'Santham'. M.P.Sukumaran Nair also could prove his directorial excellence in his film like 'Aparahnam', 'Kazhakam' and 'Sayanam'. Sarath, promising director, whose first film 'Sayahnam' has got seven State Awards. Right from the early days, the traditional Malayalam Cinema had different genres like socials, mythological, historical, comedies, wild life adventure a nd so on but the most favoured one wa s socials. In the 60s a number of films dealing with the labour movements were made absorbing the po litical ferment of the time. The 70s saw the sprouting of many f ilm societies spread across the state in moffusil towns and district headquarters which showed international film classics to a semi-urban audience. The state today boasts of the highest number of film societies in any state (about 75). Late seventies wit nessed an emphasis on sex in Malayalam Film. Sex encouraged begun to be treated a more open way which encouraged distributors to promote such films outside the state as soft-porn films. In the 70s, infrastructure facilities for film making i n the state were augmented w ith the establishment of the state sponsored Chitranjali Studios. Aided by the subsidy s cheme of the government and the inflow of 'gulf money' into film making, more films began to be made in Kerala. Location shooting became more popular and the emphasis on rea lism even in commercial productions was evident. More loca l artists, technicians and writers contributed to the distinct Malayali flav our of many films. The presentation of every day life and its problems itself became the goal of many film makers. The audience also seemed to be content with such banality, judging from the popularity of such fi lms. Sex which began to be treated more openly in the 70s came to be handled more indirectly, more at a subliminal level, in many of these films with a realistic exterior. 80s saw a boom in pulp literature in the state a nd films made out of serialized stories of these journals found a ready market. A number of such films set in the middle class families which cleverly mixed melodrama and violence succeeded well at the box office. The money
accumulated in investment companies began to be d iverted for film-making of this nature. Monopolistic tendencies began to be felt in product ion and distribution and with huge investments without regard to returns made the commercial viability of an average Malayalam film at stake. On the other side of the commercial spectrum, film makers who were mak ing sex and violence-oriented films in the 70s changed their course by making family dramas often dealing with a distant past and most often based on screenplays by Padmarajan and M.T. T he duo of Padmarajan and Bharathan seem to be the most decisive dur ing eighties in the commercial success of Malaya lam film. Both are prolific in the ir output. Films based on their screenplays and direction they maintained a certain standard which is well above that of the commercial productions in the rest of the country. Although a sizeable major ity of films deal with pred ictable themes, a few of them have exp lored alternative subjects like tribal life, po llution, gulf migration, performing arts, biography, women's issues and film making it self. The State Government with the limited resources at its disposal introduced a few well meaning schemes like the annual film awards, tax e xemption, subsidy and package scheme, a ll of which have contributed to the growth of film making in the State. W ith the absorption of more and more tra ined technicians, mainly from the FTII, Pune, the technical quality of the average Malayalam film also improved considerably. National recognition has been achieved in areas like cinematography and sound. Enterprising producers have attempted wide screen and three d imension processes with tremendous success. Although very few commendable efforts have been made in the area of children's film documentaries have received increasing attention from both established film makes and new comers. Chitralekha's early efforts have been followed up by people like Adoor and Aravindan in their personal capacities and also by others. The spurt in the area of d ocumentaries have been facilitated by the subsidy scheme. Biographical seem to be a favourite pre-occupation of the d ocumentary film makers. A novel and somewhat idealistic method of film making and distribution was attempted in 1986 by a collective of young film enthusiasts, Odessa movies under the leadership of John Abraham. Their first feature 'Amma Ariyan' (86) was made with contributions from the general public and the film screened on a non-commercial basis through out the State. Odessa als o screens film classics and arranges discussions in unexplored areas like fishermen's colonies, mental hosp ital and the like. But such ideal ist efforts have to coexist and even compete with an industry financed, controlled and manipulated by b usinessmen with no interest in the art and craft of film except for the money that it brings. A film maker like Ravi of General Pictures who financed a number of Aravindan's ear ly film and continues to make Adoor's films is a n exceptional a group movement like Odessa. Unlike the Kannada cinema of the 70s and the Bengali cinema of the eighties, Malayalam Cinema does not seem to be very favourable to younger generation of film makers. While the commercial producers are surprisingly willing to take chances by financing younger and inexperienced directors, finance for the emerging film makers with some competence seems unavailable. The National Film Developme nt Corporation engaged in financing and promoting fil ms of promise does not fully sponsor regional film although it produces a number of Hindi films which are more expensive to make and tougher to exhibit. Only recently the corporat ion started supporting a few projects in Malayal am, that too on language basis. Telecasting of Malayalam film on the national television network also suffers due to the discriminatory policies towards regional films. In the exhibition sector, permanent and semi perma nent cinema houses have mushroomed throughout the length and breadth of the State, thanks to the Gulf remittance. Movie going has become more frequent due to the increased wages prevailing in villages and the proximity of theaters, even though television and video have made inroads into urban and rural areas. The growing recognition that Malayalam film is getting in recent years is evident from the number of Malayalam film featuring in the Indian Panorama section of our International Film Festivals. Every year Malayalam films win national awards and occasionally international awards too. Retrospectives of Malayalam film makers have been held at India's International film festivals and abroad. In taking Indian film to the international front the contributions of P.K.Nair is worth mentioning. He single ha ndedly build up the prestigious Pune Film Archive of India.
Although efforts to imbibe regional cultural in Malay alam film were there r ight from the 50s, attempts to evolve indigenous narration and expression became more vigorous in the seventies a nd eighties. Coming to terms with a technological medium imported from t he West by continuous practice and by absorbing the rich performing art tradition of the State, film makers have become more at ease in creating native forms of cinema. Narrative methods of Kathakali have been skillfully adapted in 'Kodiyettam', for example. Films like 'Kodiyettam' and Thumb point to the possibility of a native visual language for Malayalam Cinema. 'Kodiyettam' has proved that such films, if mad e absorbingly and true to the soil, can gain wide acceptance by the public even if they are bombarded with crude Hollywood imitations and cheap melodrama churned out from popular serial stores. With the reassurance of s uch acceptance, one may hope that the energies of our film makers will be d irected at uncovering local truths and thus universal truth in the manner of a Ray.
