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1970
marked a turning point in Malayalam cinema.
P.N.Menon, a painter with the fruitful collaboration
of scenarist M.T. and cameraman Mankada Ravi
Varma made a remarkable film, Olavum Theeravum
(The wave and the shore). The search for a native
idiom of visual communication could be said
to have started with this film.
Reminiscent
of the Italian neo-realist films in its stark
realism, the film told with immense visual appeal
the story of an innocent Muslim girl of Malabar.
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 and art direction. However, the film's
reluctance 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 Kerala.
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 offshoot
of this society came the Chitralekha Film Co-operative,
the first of its kind in the country formed
by a group of trained technicians with the intention
of making artistic films. After a period 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 Adoor Gopalakrishnan
as Director. Technically superb, the film dispensed
with the cliché's 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 the existing
conventions but all the same produced a brilliant
first work. Although still coming to grips with
the medium, he was sure of his characters and
their relationships. Much of his pre-occupation
with family relationships found earlier 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 given him an opportunity
to play with composition. 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 was greatly aided by
contributions from cameraman M.Ravi Varma and
the art director, Namboodiri.
During
the last decade, Adoor Gopalakrishnan 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' and 'Kadhapurushan'.
'Elippathayam' won the British Film Institute
Award for the year 1982. Aravindan made films
like 'Utharayanam', 'Kanchana Sita', 'Thampu',
'Kummatty', 'Esthappan', 'Pokkuveyil', 'Chidambaram',
'Oridath', 'Vasthuhara' and 'Marattom', films
which dealt with diverse themes in a variety
of styles.
Along
with Adoor and Aravindan, Shaji Karun also
could enjoy international acclaim with the
help of his haunting films-Piravi, Swam and
Vanaprastham. Piravi is the first Malayalam
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 Tamil 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 with a dry humour (Cheriyachantae
krurakrithhyangal and Ammayariyan). His unexpected
demise in 87 caused a setback to the kind
of film making that John propounded. Some
of the noted Malayalam works 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 has 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 and
so on but the most favoured one was socials.
In the 60s a number of films dealing with the
labour movements were made absorbing the political
ferment of the time. The 70s saw the sprouting
of many film 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 witnessed 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 in the state were augmented with the
establishment of the state sponsored Chitranjali
Studios. Aided by the subsidy scheme 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 realism even in commercial
productions was evident. More local artists,
technicians and writers contributed to the distinct
Malayali flavour 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 films. 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 and 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 diverted for
film-making of this nature. Monopolistic tendencies
began to be felt in production 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 making 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. The duo of Padmarajan and Bharathan
seem to be the most decisive during eighties
in the commercial success of Malayalam film.
Both are prolific in their 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 majority of
films deal with predictable themes, a few of
them have explored alternative subjects like
tribal life, pollution, gulf migration, performing
arts, biography, women's issues and film making
itself.
The
State Government with the limited resources
at its disposal introduced a few well meaning
schemes like the annual film awards, tax exemption,
subsidy and package scheme, all of which have
contributed to the growth of film making in
the State. With the absorption of more and more
trained 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 dimension 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
documentaries have been facilitated by the subsidy
scheme. Biographical seem to be a favourite
pre-occupation of the documentary 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 also screens film
classics and arranges discussions in unexplored
areas like fishermen's colonies, mental hospital
and the like. But such idealist efforts have
to co-exist and even compete with an industry
financed, controlled and manipulated by businessmen
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 early film and continues
to make Adoor's films is an 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 Development Corporation engaged
in financing and promoting films 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 corporation started supporting
a few projects in Malayalam, 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 permanent
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 handedly build up the prestigious
Pune Film Archive of India.
Although
efforts to imbibe regional cultural in Malayalam
film were there right from the 50s, attempts
to evolve indigenous narration and expression
became more vigorous in the seventies and eighties.
Coming to terms with a technological medium
imported from the 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 made 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 such acceptance, one may
hope that the energies of our film makers will
be directed at uncovering local truths and thus
universal truth in the manner of a Ray.
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