Interesting: March 2014

It’s either because one expects too much from the master craftsman, Shaji N Karun, or it’s that his previous gems are yet to loosen their magic spell on viewers; no matter what, his latest flick, Swapaanam, comes a cropper compared to his other outings. Nevertheless, it lends some mesmerising moments though the transcended communion of love, life and art. By opening the gateway to explore an untrodden path where a percussion art is blended with a dance form, the director has created an entirely new universe of aesthetics in cinema.

The intensity of the novel experience could have reached a level higher had the story lying beneath been a bit more realistic. In terms of the narrative, there is nothing much deeper than what one gets to comprehend from the discussions that had been doing their rounds prior to the film’s release.

Unni (Jayaram) is a Chenda (a percussion instrument) artist with an ambiguous parentage and a relentless ambition to excel in his art. However, he is always overlooked by his own kin despite his unmatched talent. A naive and submissive artist, he is considered only for supportive roles with the Chenda by his half brothers who generally lead the Chenda melam performances during festivals.

Despite the suppression, the exceptional talents of Unni are soon recognised and he becomes a much sought-after chenda melam performer for festive seasons. Even though a thorough artist, Unni is never able to read the mind of his wife Kalyani (Lakshmi Gopalaswami) or her sensibilities. He could hardly realize that his life was drifting away because of his tryst with destiny that approached him in the form of Nalini (Kadambari), a Mohiniyattam exponent.

When Unni displays his magnificent talent by expressing the nuances of Mohiniyattam on Chenda they experience the marvel of a new world. Nalini instantly falls for him and identifies her own warmth and tender feelings in him. As they further explore their new world, they slip into fathomless emotions borne out of an ethereal blend of their respective arts. It ultimately leads to love that is identified by discovering oneself through the ecstatic fulfilment of art in the other, by exchanging the senses and by becoming one with the other - through an artistic and sensuous communion. It reaches consummation as the two artists let themselves dissolve in each other and joyfully languish in the labyrinths of art and love.

There are some outstanding performances from Siddique as Narayanan Namboothiri, Vineeth as Thuppan Namboothiri and P D Namboothiri as Achuthan. The film reaches the zenith of artistic perfection several times when the visuals, music and sound effects blend together to weave out some exhilarating moments.

Camera by Saji Nair has produced brilliant and unearthly canvases with nature displaying unusual colours. Sreevalsan J Menon’s musical ensembles are sense-soothing feasts and provided marvellous accompaniment to the crests and troughs of emotions. Conforming well to the fusion of arts in the movie, the musical compositions blend Carnatic and modern musical elements extraordinarily well. Forces of nature, which are common in all Shaji N Karun’s movies, are present here too and they are enlivened by brilliant sound designs. The script by Harikrishnan and Sajeev Pazhoor etches out too many moments, which worth the experience.

Shaji N Karun and crew should have kept in mind that all these would have been forever archived in the Classic genre of Malayalam cinema had they taken care of the layout of the storyline and the logic and reasons behind situations. As a movie on art, love and the pangs of love, Swapaanam gives ample room for critics to flourish both for and against it as it makes for a good watch for its artistic sequences that are exuberant. At the same time, the film can also be written off as forgettable with regard to its narrative, which is loose and incoherent.

Interesting

Tuesday, 11 March 2014

Kurtas Kurtis

Designer Anarkalis

Saturday, 8 March 2014

Swapaanam: A blend of art and love