Where Kanchivaram falls short
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(This post has some spoilers)
This is an unfair post title for a movie which has obviously been made with good intent and a significant degree of expertise. It’s definitely a movie which demands a watch as it dwells on topics which aren’t currently in vogue. Weavers and communism are not usually topics which inspire filmmakers nowadays and you probably won’t expect this from Priyadarshan if you have been subjected to his run of the mill comedies.
Vengadam, played by Prakash Raj, promises to wed his daughter in a silk saree, an unrealistic luxury, apparently in those days for weavers. The movie dwells on his journey to attain this goal and the trials and tribulations that he will face and the inevitable tragedy which has to befall him. Priyadarshan also tries to integrate the rise of communism and the birth of weaver co-operative societies into the thread of this narrative.
First, let’s get over the things going for the movie to keep things in the right perspective.
The movie is visually stunning. It’s a triumph for the director and cinematographer, Thiru, who bring a level of artistic merit not often seen in Indian Cinema. The present is shot in gloomy grey and merciless rain, relentless in it’s communication of the impending doom even as trivial events like a puncture or a tailoring requirement only end up delaying the massive tragedy.
The past is shot in an overpowering brown tone, seeking I guess to emphasize the earthy nature of living of the protagonists. Along with it are flashes of brilliant reds of the ever-developing silk saree and the blazing reds of communism. Every shot is a picture; the actors seem to do all the movement as the camera seems to be just a fly on the most interesting of walls. The director bravely fills the screen with shadows reminding us time and again of the darkness which seems to inhabit the lives of the characters. At the same time, the proceedings are never allowed to get too gloomy as a good amount of scenes are shot outdoors where we are allowed to join in amidst the hopes of the weavers and their families.
The narrative skillfully weaves between the past and the present keeping us interested towards the dark ending for even though you know from all the signals that it is going to be a tragic tale, you still want to know how the director will execute the final punch and this is a great victory for Priyadarshan. Another remarkable feature of the movie is how the melodrama is stripped bare off the scenes, Priyadarshan banking on the tragedy of the story, the acting and the scene compositions to do the trick.
And now I think is a good cue to start the other side of the argument, because that’s where the problem lies. Prakash Raj tries extremely hard to bring pathos valiantly through his mournful expressions but is handicapped by the lack of effective dialogues and by his own towering physicality. He looks too well-fed, too well-kept and too intelligent for the most part to play the hapless but determined weaver. He struggles in the scenes which are filled with pathos but excels in scenes where he has to exchange light hearted banter with his wife or daughter or when he has to give a rousing speech to his fraternity. There are not many who possess the range to do justice to this role. Prakash Raj comes real close but still falls short.
And that is a big reason that we never end up getting emotionally involved with Vengadam. We end up feeling a little cold and keep our distance as he becomes a thief, a traitor, a murderer and finally a madman, each transformation seeming too easy for Vengadam which in turn makes it too difficult for us to accept.
The artificiality which starts with Vengadam’s physicality extends further into the dialogues which seem to be completely sanitized; they could almost belong to the movies of the black and white era, so predictable are they save for the odd comment or two. The whiteness of the clothes worn by almost every man in one scene could be a perfect advertisement for any of the washing powder brands. I don’t intend to nitpick but the detail which could make a period movie everlasting seems to be missing.
And finally, there are many movies nowadays, which employ a voice over narration, not that they all need them but I believe that Priyadarshan lost a trick in not employing one here. I wish he had given us more insight into the art of weaving and the life of the weavers instead of just sticking with random shots of Vengadam pulling at the threads and stomping on the pedals. We don’t get real insight and feel cheated at the perfunctory messages which appear on the screen at the beginning and the end of the movie.
I mean, what would ‘Million Dollar Baby’ be without Morgan Freeman’s V.O. saying something priceless like this-
“Boxing is an unnatural act. Coz everything in it is backwards. You want to move to the left, you don’t step left, you push on the right toe. To move right, you push on the left toe. Instead of running from the pain like a sane person would do, you step into it. Everything in boxing, is backwards.”
Priyadarshan creates a wonderful spectacle, unfortunately one, which still leaves you untouched.
Tags: Kanchivaram, Prakash Raj, priyadarshan, Tamil
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
D&C I will have to disagree with you. I thought Prakash Raj was the perfect choice for the role. About his being well fed, etc. It was never shown that he was living in poverty. he was content with what he was getting, if not for the challenge that he throws, he as well might have lived a life of meagreness. Even with very little money, most the villagers were shown content with the money they received, and were happy to get two course meal. That was it, he was not struggling to make a meal, he was struggling to raise over the two course meal and give other pleasures to himsef and his family, and there lies the story and the start of communism.
About less number of dialogs, i thought the film didnt need those many dialogs in first place. In the first half, he had very few, because it represented his state, where he would take anything lying down without a complaint and remaining mute to the proceedings. The only person he could open up and only place where he could be himself was with his wife in his house! And that is where i guess you observed how good he was when he was having light hearted banter with his wife. That was the character D&C.
Now if you observe later in the movie, he becomes more outspoken, still a bit afraid, but outspoken nevertheless, the transformation, and that was because of communalism and also to protect himself from the mis-deeds he had done.
I thought the whole casting was spot-on..coulnt have been any better! There were metaphors galore in the movie and i always love that!
Where did you see it?
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I have not seen the movie, can not comment how bad or good movie is, but your points describing why moive is bad is quite amatuerish.
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D&C…Priyan is a good technician and even has very good sense of humour…He is no genius..Kalapani was a sham…but Kanchivaram was a relatively better effort…Strained and forced to the point in several scenes though…
Especially, scenes where they discuss business with the British officer and agree on ‘700′ rupees per saree, subsequently giving a 5 rupee dakshina for Prakash Raj’s character was not at all the most subtle way exploitation should have been handled..
I found emotions and characterizations very normal…
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OM- My only grouse is that the attention paid to the visuals has not been paid to the screenplay and hence the movie fails to connect.
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Actually even in the beginning of the movie, he seems to be the only one who doesn’t take things lying down when he tries to protect one of his fellow weavers getting beaten. So him emerging as a leader later on in the movie is not a surprise but where does he suddenly get the art of rabble rousing speech making ability? Is it from the teachings of the communist? Is it from reading books of the revolution? A lot of important stuf has happened off screen. All we see, is a play being enacted and some pictures of the russian revolution being passed around. Not enough.
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Also the whole concept of why it’s so difficult for a weaver to buy a silk saree is not impressed upon enough. Remember we are in a different time and age and a little more reaching out by the director can be forgiven especially related to an article which is nowadays not so uncommon in accesibility. All we get to hear is that he earns 7 bucks per saree which finally retails for 800. The challenge needed to be broken down to impress upon us the impossibility of the situation. I mean, he owned a couple of cows, what were they worth? Did he examine all possibilities before embarking upon a life of dishonesty? All this also happens offscreen. There’s De Sica’s Bicycle Thieves where a whole movie is spent by the parent and child looking for the bicycle and it only towards the desperate end that the father decides to steal one and we as an audience can’t hold it against him. Here, that is not the case.
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Also, the director again chooses to gloss over any guilt that Vengadam might feel because of his actions. He may fool others but how does he forgive himself as he chooses to be a thief everyday of his working life. What is his penance? How does it affect his personality? The movie doesn’t dwell on that. Somehow it’s an inconsequential matter for the director/writer. Does communism teach that if you don’t get what you deserve, you can steal? Improbable as it may sound, even if that was the case, I can accept that Vengadam is under a self delusion and embraces communism for a personal reason as well as a social cause. But again that is not dwelt upon.
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Maybe a lot went out at the editing table. But I would have preferred if Priyan had kept the story solid even if it meant getting rid of all the non-linear narrative structure.
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I should have probably put all this into the post as well…
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Cinemausher- I haven’t said anywhere that the movie is bad, only it could have been better.
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Ram V- I haven’t seen a whole lot of Priyan but yes, Kanchivaram is definitely among the better ones of his that I’ve seen. A lot better than Kalapaani definitely. But it’s not one to announce his second coming.
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@ Ram-
Kalapani- a sham? I guess to each his/her own.
I certainly would rate it as one of the best from Priyan & all in all a good movie, if not a great movie.
Regarding Kanchivaram, this is one movie I’ve somehow still not managed to yet see.The theatrical run unfortunately was just a week I think wherever it managed to get a release.So will watch & then comment on the movie.
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But looking at your comments i do ot think you have high regards for Priyan.
T o tell Kalapani a sham, means you do not like priyan.
If you are saying that movie is not bad, but disappointed ,then you must had some expectations considering what you felt about Kalapani i do not think you should have any expectations.
You pointed out in your article voiceover should be used, but then that is your pov, the director must have felt no need for the vocie over.
I am saying again that i have not seen the movie, can not comment on the movie, all i am saying is even if the movie disappointed you,i think you could have provided more detailed analysis of why it failed to live upto your expectations.
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The sham part was in response to Ram’s comment.
The second last para and last para was meant for the author.
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Cinemausher & Sethu …More detailed analysis on Kalapani…here you go…
The Good Parts
1) Technical details, photography and Cyril’s art direction
2) Ilayarajas Music
The Bad Parts
1) Casting:- How can a man who has attempted several escapes from the Kalapani, be as obese as Prabhu is…Most of the actors including Lal an left uncontrolled…poor Lal, sounded like a radio drama announcer, when he says ‘Who is this you know …Bina Das!!!’ or an uninterested layman when he says ‘Gopalakrishna Gokhale is fine’
2) Script:-
a) Was it an action drama or a anti-imperialism effort…confused
b) The overly dramatic effect in each epidose of torturing and eyes bulging melodram in each and every actor made it a poor film if not anything else…
c) The poorly constructed script has the lead character, who is not even a inclined freedom fighter ending up in Kalapani…now, we are not shown the life and struggles through his eyes, but we are thrown in religious and egoistic tantrums of the inmates…
d)There is no place for exploring the mindset of the british, or Indian prisoners are being detailed…like the ‘Ralph Fiennes shooting practice scene in SL’
e)Last but not the least, to insert scenes from ‘King Solomons Mine’ in a film dedicated to the memories of one of the most gruesome prison in Indian history is an abhorrable act..Mohanlal and Prabhus scenes in the cannibal island are ignorant attempts that trivialized the sacrifice and travails of the prisoners who fought for us to write like this…
I write in haste so the above points may be incomplete or unstructured…but Kalapani is definitely not a good movie…
As sethu said..to each his own…
and cinemausher..please dont judge my like and dislike…as we donot know each other well enough…I love priyan movies…those in which he is at his best…Aram + Aram..Chitram..Kilukkam…evan kilichundan and kakkakuyil had their moments of humor…As I said…for me..Priyan is one of the best technicican to create some of the most beautiful visuals..colourful ones..he also has impeccable sense of humour…there it ends..serious cinema is not his forte…
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@Ram,
I do not think obese people would not try to escape from prison.
Why you want to classify a film to certain genre.
May be the director did not want to explore the mindset of britishers.
but we are thrown in religious and egoistic tantrums of the inmates…
This point , may be priyan wanted to show after 50 years we are still same problems.
I have not tried to judge you or your taste.
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@Cinemausher…ha ha..Obese people would definitely try to escape prison…but please dont tell me Priyan cast Prabhu only because he could not find a better actor to play the role…its not Prabhu’s fault but Priyan’s who created larger than life characters in a story which could have been a landmark film in Indian History…
You remember he made this film after a fight with Adoor over some state awards related comment, whom he accused of making films that no one could watch and self-challenged himself to make a serious film of international standards..He even commented something like..making serious cinema is easy..but making comedy and popular cinema is difficult…Finally, what came out of the self-imposed challenge was Kalapani..Adoor had the last laugh…
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It worked for me. I found the transition from a thief to murderer to a madman convincing. It was like a short story….it gave me the same high.
I don’t know about the dialogues (because I don’t understand the language) but the setting seemed authentic.
White clothes – yeah he could have avoided that.
“He looks too well-fed, too well-kept and too intelligent for the most part to play the hapless but determined weaver.”
too well-fed – Yes that thought crossed my mind too when I was watching it. But what do you mean by ‘too intelligent’???
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@ Ram
Priyan has this habit of speaking out a bit too much @ times.He did with Adoor as you pointed out & he also did it with P.Vasu after Kuselan became a dud.So lets not go too much into it.As much as I might like Kalapani or you might dislike it, I think both of us will agree upon one thing- Kalapani could not have definitely been a Mathilukal.Even if Priyan thought so, it would have been nothing less than an impossible dream.
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Neeraja- I was referring to Vengadam’s look in the whole movie…It does not mingle with what his character does…The dichotomy with the serious and supposedly well aware social activist who talks revolution but also steals like a petty thief is never explored to a sufficient depth…
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@Ram
Well is creating larger than life a fault, priyan never claimed to historic, it was a fiction based on facts.It was much better than many bollywood fiction films based on Independence struggle.
Correct if i am wrong, but no hindi film had highlight Andaman and Nicobar Islands apart from this i think the hindi film which highlighted this issue was Veer Savarkar based on the freedom fighter, but then less said about the movie better.
I think prabhu is a good actor and did justice to his role and it was a good commercial decision and it covered tamil market and he was ready to play second fiddle to Mohanlal.
About Priyan-Adoor verbal spat i do not know about the incident, but i think that should not be a reason to like or dislike this movie.
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Kalapani is one of the most oversimplified films on every aspect of life that it tried to cover. Does that make sense? It oversimplified everything that it touched.
All those torture scenes and one-dimensional characterizations, oh dear lord. And Mohanlal croaked; croaked big time…
Horrendous stuff. Priyan should probably leave the “Easier films” for lesser mortals to make
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