Thiruvananthapuram / New Delhi, Dec 14 (Bureau) The title character in Angammal is hesitant to wear a blouse because she believes that it hides her identity, proving that societal standards play a huge role in shaping one’s identity, Director of Angammal Dr Vipin Radhakrishnan said ‘In Conversation’ session at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) here on Saturday.
Q. Both your previous works, as co-writer in ‘Mosayile Kuthirameenukal’ and your debut directorial ‘Ave Maria’, were critically acclaimed. How do you think your perspectives about cinema has shaped your approach in the filmmaking?
A. For me, cinema, like any other art form, mediates honest communication. However, in India, cinema has predominantly been considered as a medium of storytelling. Thus, my taste too has evolved to view cinema as a tool for telling interesting and engaging stories.
Q. In Angammal, the title character is portrayed as a woman with a strong sense of identity. In one memorable scene, she tells her granddaughter that she is hesitant to wear a blouse because it hides her identity. How do you view the concept of identity, particularly when shaped or altered by societal standards?
A. We cannot ignore the fact that societal standards play a huge role in shaping one’s identity. At the same time, I believe the emotional stimuli one experiences during childhood are equally important in forming one’s identity. I think identity is not a fixed constant and can evolve as the person grows and come across challenges over time.
Q. Lead actor Geetha Kailasam has been exceptional in Sarpattai Parambarai, Maamannan, and Navarasa. How did you identify Angammal in her? Also, tells us more on the title.
A. Geetha was recommended by Mekha, a friend of mine, who also played an important character in Ave Maria. We then watched all the films of Geetha and were really impressed by her screen presence and performance. When we met her later, we found that she was an intelligent and sensible actor. Her has a huge on-screen presence which itself was an assurance that she was the perfect fit for the titular character. The name Angammal was suggested by my dialogue writer, Sudahar Das, who also played the character Bala in the movie. It’s his grandmother’s name, and once he explained that it means grace and beauty, we couldn’t agree more with the choice.
Q. As an alumnus of the College of Engineering, Trivandrum (CET), how connected are you to the city especially when IFFK is associated with Trivandrum?
A. I can say that I am a product of IFFK, like many contemporary filmmakers in Kerala. I still remember my hostel mates in CET introducing me to classics they had watched at IFFK which eventually led me to attend the festival. The Return, one of the films I watched at IFFK, remains one of my all-time favourites. I genuinely believe that all the good filmmakers and audiences in Kerala have been influenced by IFFK in one way or another. Even those who haven’t attended it in person have likely been indirectly impacted as IFFK has been instrumental in shaping the cinematic tastes of filmmakers and audiences in Kerala.
Q. Tell us about your experience at the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival? How did audiences respond to Angammal?
A. We have designed the film particularly for theatres to provide a wholesome audio-visual experience for the audience. Angammal was an instant hit at MAMI. The positive responses from the audience, and favorable reviews, made us incredibly happy. At least our passion and hard work were not in vain. Angammal is not meant to be watched alone rather it is designed for a larger audience at theatres. And MAMI proved us right.
Q. The film addresses class divide using a piece of cloth symbolically. How challenging was it?
A. The basic theme was adapted from a short story by Perumal Murugan. The theme itself was an inspiration and we were confident to expand it further.
Q. Portraying rural Tamil Nadu in the 1990s with authenticity is no easy feat. What inspired you to situate this narrative in a rural context, often seen as contrasting with feminist ideals?
A. Like you said, depicting rural Tamil Nadu was not easy, but we worked together as a team to make it happen. My DOP, Anjoy Samuel, who is also one of our producers along with Firoz Rahim, had studied and practiced his craft in Tamil Nadu, and that helped us immensely. The contributions of our immensely talented art director, Gopi Karunanithi, is also worth mentioning. My dialogue writer, Sudahar Das, who hails from southern Tamil Nadu and has served as one of my creative directors, contributed significantly towards this. We followed the original story ‘Kodithuni’ by Perumal Murugan in all its essence. The story had a rural setting, and the same was showed in the movie as well. In fact, that was one of the aspects that inspired me to adapt the story into a film.
Q. What were your additions to the story as it metamorphosed into film?
A. I took the liberty to alter the portrayal of characters and expand the basic plot to give it a more cinematic treatment.