Kanjivaram :: A Tamil historical..
The latest hubbub of movies like Slumdog Millionaire and Ghajini has eclipsed a movie which deserves far more attention that what it has received. The movie Kanjivaram (Tamil) showcases a stellar performance by Prakash Raj who plays the lead role that sweeps the viewer completely off his feet by the dedication and theme he portrays.
The movie captioned as "a communist confession", is staged during the British era in the ancient (famous) city of Kanjivaram and is based on the life of silk-weavers in Tamil Nadu during that period and the revolution following it. The following prelude appears before the movie -
"Pushpeshu Jati Purusheshu Vishnu Narishu Ramba Nagereshu Kanchi" - Kalidasa
The above verse "Nagareshu Kanchi" written by the famous Sanskrit poet Kalidasa, states that at one time Kanjivaram was amongst the best cities in ancient India.
In Hinduism, the Pattu (Silk) epitomizes purity of the highest degree. Being an auspicious symbolism and a holy blessing, silk plays a very important role in every Hindu's life in India, and it is a strong belief to be adorned in silk twice in life.
Once at the time of marriage, to ensure the purity of the relationship and once at the time of death, to purify the soul and carry it to heaven.
The silk weavers however, never succeeded in practising this due to their meagre salary. Thus it always remained a distant dream to them. And so, came a revolution..
The movie revolves around a silk-weaver Venkatam (Prakash Raj) cherishing the above dreams and showing the course of his life as he chases them, misfortune and ill-luck striking him on the way.
He dreams of getting his wife adorned in a silk saree and bringing her home, but the huge pile of coins he had saved for years together out of his weaving seems insufficient for it. Soon he is gifted with a girl child and during the traditional ceremony following it, he promises the child as a father that he would get her married in a silk-saree. This evokes immediate ridicule and brouhaha from the people around, but Venkatam is determined to fulfill this for his daughter.
A series of events span the story henceforth - Venkatam, being the best among the weavers is asked to weave a special saree for the marriage of a landlord and he is rewarded by an Englishman who is impressed by the work. While he puts his best efforts daily, he describes his artistic patterns for the saree to be woven, more poetically to his wife and she gets curious to see it once. Venkatam carries her miles along to the wedding of his landlord's daughter so she can get a glimpse of the beautiful saree he had woven and claimed accolades for.
His wife - Annam (Shreya Reddy) dies of illness soon and he is left alone with his daughter, who keeps asking him to show her the silk-saree he had promised her for her marriage. Venkatam buys a weaving machine and hides it behind his home where he secretly works on the saree for his daughter every night. But, the love for his daughter and the desire to fulfill his promise blinds him completely and he steals silk-thread from his workplace to complete the saree for his daughter. He is caught, accused of being a thief and traitor, is mercilessly beaten up and sent to jail, while his daughter is left all alone is her hut. Soon, Venkatam learns that Annam is struck by a paralaytic attack and comes home to see her. <<Senti scene>> Realizing that there's effectively no-one to take care of her until he returns from jail, he lays her to eternal sleep, begging her to forgive him! The last bit of the movie is touching, when he gets reminded of the piece of half-woven silk cloth still lying in his house and gets it to cover her body atleast now, but he finds that it is not long enough!
With a couple of other trivial events, Director - Priyadarshan has made good attempt to take the audience into the English-era , with the B&W screenplay, rickety old-fashioned vehicles, attire of the Zamindars and the weavers, and petty things like the zeal among people to see a motor-vehicle and the excitement about getting their son educated/sending him to army.
I would term this movie as a big success for the director and Prakash Raj!
Definitely worth watching..
The above verse "Nagareshu Kanchi" written by the famous Sanskrit poet Kalidasa, states that at one time Kanjivaram was amongst the best cities in ancient India.
In Hinduism, the Pattu (Silk) epitomizes purity of the highest degree. Being an auspicious symbolism and a holy blessing, silk plays a very important role in every Hindu's life in India, and it is a strong belief to be adorned in silk twice in life.
Once at the time of marriage, to ensure the purity of the relationship and once at the time of death, to purify the soul and carry it to heaven.
The silk weavers however, never succeeded in practising this due to their meagre salary. Thus it always remained a distant dream to them. And so, came a revolution..
The movie revolves around a silk-weaver Venkatam (Prakash Raj) cherishing the above dreams and showing the course of his life as he chases them, misfortune and ill-luck striking him on the way.
He dreams of getting his wife adorned in a silk saree and bringing her home, but the huge pile of coins he had saved for years together out of his weaving seems insufficient for it. Soon he is gifted with a girl child and during the traditional ceremony following it, he promises the child as a father that he would get her married in a silk-saree. This evokes immediate ridicule and brouhaha from the people around, but Venkatam is determined to fulfill this for his daughter.
A series of events span the story henceforth - Venkatam, being the best among the weavers is asked to weave a special saree for the marriage of a landlord and he is rewarded by an Englishman who is impressed by the work. While he puts his best efforts daily, he describes his artistic patterns for the saree to be woven, more poetically to his wife and she gets curious to see it once. Venkatam carries her miles along to the wedding of his landlord's daughter so she can get a glimpse of the beautiful saree he had woven and claimed accolades for.
His wife - Annam (Shreya Reddy) dies of illness soon and he is left alone with his daughter, who keeps asking him to show her the silk-saree he had promised her for her marriage. Venkatam buys a weaving machine and hides it behind his home where he secretly works on the saree for his daughter every night. But, the love for his daughter and the desire to fulfill his promise blinds him completely and he steals silk-thread from his workplace to complete the saree for his daughter. He is caught, accused of being a thief and traitor, is mercilessly beaten up and sent to jail, while his daughter is left all alone is her hut. Soon, Venkatam learns that Annam is struck by a paralaytic attack and comes home to see her. <<
With a couple of other trivial events, Director - Priyadarshan has made good attempt to take the audience into the English-era , with the B&W screenplay, rickety old-fashioned vehicles, attire of the Zamindars and the weavers, and petty things like the zeal among people to see a motor-vehicle and the excitement about getting their son educated/sending him to army.
I would term this movie as a big success for the director and Prakash Raj!
Definitely worth watching..
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