interview: adoor gopalakrishnan KODIYETTAM What made KODIYETTAM possible? Without that money from the documentary on Idukki Project, we couldn't have completed KODIYETTAM. Actually we had shot the whole film in 1975. We had our own camera and recording instrument, so we could shoot it with little money. Some sequences, for example, the festival scenes, were shot by me, as we had no money to get Ravi Varma down from Madras. Then we sent the negatives to A V M for processing. After that, we didn't go there for another year. We couldn't have shown our faces there without settling the bill. And it was after receiving the money for the film on Idukki Project, that we went there. When we checked the negatives, one whole sequence was missing. It was lost. We had to re-shoot it. So we could complete the film only in 1977, though we had it shot two years before. I also recorded the entire sound for the film on my own, mainly out of financial compulsions. These are some of the advantages of being poor. You are forced to learn a lot of practical things, by doing them yourself. The time when we made a lot of documentaries was virtually also a learning period for me. Very often I had to handle the camera, sound equipments etc on my own. This has helped me a lot in my work later. When I wanted a shot to be taken in a particular fashion, I also knew I was not proposing something impossible to the cameraman. It helps one to get what one wants from the technicians. Usually I note down such things in detail at the scripting stage itself. Its structure is that of a festival in a village temple. I wanted to create an intimate experience of everyday rural life. It is structured in such a way as to look natural, as if there are no outside interventions. During the course of the film, the festival comes full circle, parallel to it is the inner development of the characters as well. I think KODIYETTAM stands out from the rest of your films by virtue of its simplicity and lyrical quality. The structure is not complex and the narrative is a straightforward one. No other kind of treatment was possible for the film. A more sophisticated approach would have evoked an attitude of condescension, of looking down upon him. Or, if you make him a hero, you will have to look up towards him. Both were not possible. You had to have an eye-level treatment. Actually its structure is that of a festival in a village temple. I wanted to create an intimate experience of everyday rural life. It is structured in such a way as to look natural, as if there are no outside interventions. During the course of the film, the festival comes full circle, parallel to it is the inner development of the characters as well. The film starts with the ritual 'katina vedi' (ritual fire works) marking the beginning of the annual festival. A peculiar feature of our region Central Travancore, is the presence of hill-gods. There are no regular idols atop, but each hill is dedicated to a Kaurava, like Duryodhana, Karna etc. My family hill-deity is Karna. The film was shot at a hill near my family house in Adoor that is dedicated to Duryodhana. Till recently the devotees used to offer arrack and cock, something that retained old tribal characteristics. The film begins with the oorali's (representative of the deity, a sort of oracle) arrival, and the announcement of the annual festival, which commences with the procession of the spectacular 'horses'. The film ends with the fireworks, like a festival. Throughout the film, only very innate sounds and images are used. Sankarankutty is presented as part of nature/landscape. The film is about the process of his individuation; his forays into the world around him. And there is a certain sense of ascendance in his endless journeys first on foot, then on a bullock cart and finally on a truck. Physically, his travels take him gradually from the plains to the high ranges. And he is always interested in movement, speed... So, though he may look slow and sluggish, deep within him, he has a yearning for speed. The idea of the family, which is a mark of identity and individuality, runs through the film. As life progresses, experiences of different kind-deceit, tragedies etc. are faced with. Finally he arrives. And the film ends with him giving a 'pudava' (apparel) to his wife (a marriage ritual). Is Sankarankutty a remnant of the feudal system like Unni in ELIPPATHAYAM? Sankarankutty has no feudal background. His family does not hold land or wealth. He is an ordinary man who is gullible and can be easily manipulated. There is goodness in him that is exploited by all, even by children. And whoever gives him love, suffer tragedies and it pains him. How was it received? It was received well everywhere. It is the favourite film of many people. Actually different people like different films of mine, not the same one. While some like SWAYAMVARAM, others like ELIPPATHAYAM or MUKHAMUKHAM. There is no one film liked by all. It was the first film of mine that Ray saw. And while watching the film, he was laughing aloud throughout. He liked the film immensely and during the discussions after the screening, he asked, "do you want to do away with music and background score altogether?" I said "No". Then he said, "you should not do away with it. When used sparingly, music can become very powerful". Music is always used very sparingly in your films, isn't it? Yes. Most of the viewers didn't feel that KODIYETTAM didn't have a background score. Only when they are told about it do they realise it. The ambience sounds are so rich that one doesn't notice the absence of background score. Actually the recording of sounds for the film took longer than the shooting schedule. I travelled all over Central Travancore with a Nagra sound recorder. After KODIYETTAM you parted ways with Chitralekha Film Cooperative. Looking back what do you think of the Chitralekha experience? I learned a good lesson from it. I feel convinced that artists should never get embroiled in institutions. You tend to get drowned in its petty problems. During the 14 year period from 1965 to 1979 when I was with Chitralekha, I could only do two films. I did all the rest during the next 15 years. It may have done a lot of good to the Society, but not to me. | Previous Page | Next Page | | Home | Mail | | History of Indian Cinema | Indian Parallel Cinema | History of Malayalam Cinema | | Malayalam Parallel Cinema | Malayalam Middle-Stream Cinema | | Malayalam Cinema Database |