Madurai Messenger Film Review August 2013
Weaving Silk with the Warp and Weft of Poverty and Inequality: Kanchivaram The acclaimed National Award winning film Kanchivaram is woven around the lives of the silk weavers in the famous South Indian town of the same name. The irony that silk sari weavers can never afford a silk sari of their own is one of the key themes of the film; ‘A silk weaver can only weave silk, not wear it,’ is the take home message of this poignant and powerful film, writes Adam Pigott
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Kanchivaram
Director:
Priyadarshan
Cast:
Prakash Raj, Shriya Reddy, Shammu
Language: Tamil Year:
2008
A tall promise The film centres on an aged Vengadam recalling his life as a young man as he is transported on a prison bus. Certain events, sights, sounds and smells, trigger his recollections and we the viewer are transported into his memories along with him. The story of his past begins with him returning to his home village with his new wife, Annam, played by Sriya Reddy, in tow. He is derided as he goes, disparaged by the residents of the village for reneging on a vow he once made to wed a silk sari-clad bride. Nonetheless, he subsequently goes on to make the same promise to his newly-born daughter, and is once again met with cynicism. A wave of negative opinion from the other villagers confronts him for once again promising something he cannot possibly hope to achieve. Even his wife is upset and sceptical. However, he subsequently reveals to her that he managed to save half of what he needed for a sari for his wife, and therefore, with hard work and committed saving over time, should in fact be able to fulfill the vow he made to his daughter.
Text: Adam Pigott, United Kingdom
Title:
When we think of Indian cinema, it is Bollywood glamour that springs to mind, and I readied myself to enjoy the iconic dance sequences synonymous with that genre. However, this was to be a different experience altogether. As the tragic events of this film unfolded, I found myself being drawn emotionally deeper into the main character Vengadam’s life, and emotionally deeper into this mysterious culture. Any scepticism I felt at the onset was replaced by respect, not just for the film making of director Priyardashan, but also for Tamil culture in general, and for the lives of the weavers themselves as they struggle so valiantly against adversity just to make a living.
W
hen I sat down to watch my first Tamil movie, Priyardashan’s 2008 award-winning drama, Kanchivaram, I had no idea what to expect. Having been brought up on a steady diet of Western-style Hollywood blockbusters, I felt intrigued but sceptical about sampling an Eastern screenplay. I’m afraid to admit that I was relatively ignorant of Tamil movie culture.
A weaver’s plight Every father I’m sure promises the earth for a new born daughter, dreaming (or perhaps dreading!) the day she gets married in a beautiful dress. What struck me in the film was the shock and grave premonitions being cast by
The newly married couple
the other villages when Vengadam makes that promise to his daughter. ‘Even if a weaver works his whole life he can’t even afford half a sari’, he is warned. The irony that silk sari weavers can never afford a silk sari of their own is one of the key messages of the film; ‘a silk weaver can only weave silk, not wear it’. The plight of the weaver is highlighted early on as one of the workers commits suicide after suffering the shame of being accused of being a thief. His father then blames his own ‘cursed tongue’ for bringing about this tragedy. It is this idea that leads to the arrival of a communist preacher to the village. The activist arrives with social reform at the forefront of his mind.This triggers Vengadam’s own involvement in the spreading of communist dialogue. In the only scene that resembles my preconceived ideas of Indian cinema, he takes up the craft of street theatre. Unforeseen circumstances lead to Vengadam reluctantly giving away his savings to his brother-in-law. Out of sheer desperation he eventually resorts to smuggling silk out of the supply and working at night to secretly create the promised silk sari. It is these controversial activities that lead to his arrest. His life spirals out
Any scepticism I felt at the onset was replaced by respect, not just for the film making of director Priyardashan, but also for Tamil culture in general, and for the lives of the weavers themselves as they struggle so valiantly against adversity just to make a living of control as his wife dies and his daughter becomes paralysed through a freak accident. The key message I personally took on board from the film was to be open minded. It is difficult to shed my Western perspective entirely, but this film opened my eyes to the promise and potential of alternatives to the globally dominant American entertainment industry. This film opened my eyes to something much more important and deeply felt as well; the potential for change. The capitalist world favours the rich at the expense of the poor. While I’m not sure that communism is the answer, I have now garnered a wider viewpoint and understand that something needs to be done to address the world wide problem of poverty and inequality.
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