interview: g aravindan Your documentary film SAHAJA has created some controversy recently. What has happened actually? SAHAJA was the last bit of a programme designed by Chandralekha for exhibition in Russia. Her exhibition portrayed the Indian women, their activities and their cultural context. It is a half an hour documentary based on our Ardhanariswara concept. The attempt was to portray the inherent feminine principle in the masculine. For this we had included Odissi of Keluchandra Mahapatra and 'Bhamakalapam' performed by Vedantam Satyanarayana Sastri. How far the documentary was successful in bringing the Ardhanariswara concept out, I do not know. However, it could have gone as part of the exhibition. SAHAJA is part of the New Delhi film festival - Indian Panorama. Other than Tarkovsky's SACRIFICE, there have not been any films which can be termed 'outstanding' for quite a few years now. I like all the films of Tarkovsky. I also like many films of various directors. But if you want to call someone a Master Director, it is Tarkovsky. But why did this film become so controversial? I don't know... It was part of the project accepted by the Human Resource Ministry. The project had also mentioned that this film was based on the Ardhanariswara principle. Why was it excluded at the last moment... Perhaps they wanted to show a film on Indira Gandhi?! I do not see any particular reason for it… In Chandralekha's project, Indira Gandhi was portrayed as one of the outstanding women of India along with Sarojini Naidu and Balasaraswathi. In place of SAHAJA they screened a film on Indira Gandhi (laughs) looks like that is what they wanted. What is your opinion of film censorship? I think films should not be censored. It is really bad to cut a piece out of a serious work of art. Such things will affect the whole structure. However since we cannot afford it now, it is wise to perhaps work accordingly, I do take some precautions and have not faced any censor problems. You don't agree with the censoring of vulgar elements in commercial cinema? Is there not a lot of vulgarity inspite of it? Those who have a lot of money and influence do break rules. In reality, censorship will affect only the serious filmmakers and not those who indulge in vulgarity. Censorship will not give the filmmaker enough room for creative experiments endeavours. What do you think of the governmental subsidies and financial assistance to filmmakers? What do you think of the role played by institutions like NFDC? First it was only the Bengal State Government, which produced films. This was given up since it was a failure. NFDC is doing as much as it can in this regard. One hears a lot of complaints about the India International Film Festivals! Other than in socialist countries, only in India the Government is conducting film festivals. Elsewhere it is either by individuals or institutions. I think the festival suffers the limitations of every other governmental enterprise. The government has to take care of its diplomatic relations and other interests, then there is the bureaucracy... the problems of finance etc.... The Directorate of Film Festivals is only a small department under the Information and Broadcasting Ministry... Are we conducting the festivals with an emphasis on aesthetic sensibility? No. The angle is that of 'Developmental Activity'. The finance department considers the money spent on it as a loss. It should not be viewed like that. The government has to spend money on many things without measuring the returns in terms of financial profitability. The film festivals went back to the government because NFDC could not bear the losses. When NFDC was conducting the festivals it was a little more open and flexible, I suppose... Recently I had gone through the entire list of films in the Indian Panorama, one could notice some interesting developments. When the Panorama began only the 'new wave' or 'parallel' cinema was represented. From 1980 onwards we see the inclusion of commercial films as well. Now this year, in Malayalam, only commercial films are included in the Panorama. In the beginning it looked like Panorama was only for the 'off beat' films. Now is it the turn of commercial cinema? Well... it is something like that now. It could be because a premier show on Doordarshan will fetch rupees eight lakhs. People will try to influence decisions. The main problem is that of the selection committee, which represents varied interests. The cancellation of the provision of a review of rejected films at the regional level has made things worse, since the regional panel has now become the sole authority to decide which film will get into the Panorama. Perhaps this year's selection is a good example of what can really happen... to mention one or two films which should have been in the Panorama are Satyan's SAMVATSARANGAL and Ravindran's ORE THUVAL PAKSHIKAL. Why are they not included in the Panorama?! Opportunities for exposure is lost for these films and filmmakers. We don't have to hunt for reasons for the dwindling credibility of the Indian panorama as well as for the empty auditoriums while Panorama films are exhibited these days. You have been attending festivals abroad. What is the state of the world cinema and what are its standards? Other than Tarkovsky's SACRIFICE, there have not been any films which can be termed 'outstanding' for quite a few years now. I have not seen LAST TEMPTATION by Scorcese. Everyone who has seen the film has told me that it is a superb work. Our government has decided not to show that film here. Whose works do you like the most? I like all the films of Tarkovsky. I also like many films of various directors. But if you want to call someone a Master Director, it is Tarkovsky. What about the Indian Directors? I like Mani Kaul's films. John Abraham? AGRAHARATHIL KAZHUTHAI is a good film. In the other films we can perceive the genius in John. But the productions are erratic. They don't have the discipline and organisation a film requires. This could be because of the special nature of his lifestyle. Based on the Ramayana, you directed KANCHANA SEETHA. What do you think of the Ramayana of Ramanand Sagar as also the Mahabharata now being serialised? I have seen only few episodes; my opinion is limited to that. I am afraid, it might badly affect the imagination of our children and their sensibilities as also our own! We have not discussed your documentaries. Can you tell about the documentaries you consider important? I have done a lot of documentaries by now. But there are only three or four worth mentioning. One is on V T Bhatathiripad, the other biography of J Krishnamurthy, "Seer Who Walks Alone'; and 'Sahaja'. There are also one or two incomplete documentaries - an hour-long film on the folk dances of Kerala, and a film on E M S Namboodiripad. At the moment I am planning a one and half hour film on V K Krishna Menon. I have read that you were very deeply moved by the scene in the film where Shri Krishnamurthy is shown crossing the bridge over Ganga? I had not met Shri Krishnamurthy earlier. Although I had read his works and about him, I had not understood them completely. Meeting him has made a difference, although we have not talked at length or even discussed his philosophy. He is a very honest man. According to him, our lives in the modern context cannot be explained in terms of any particular philosophy like Buddhism or any other. It is beyond them. The scene you are talking about is the last shot in the film. Krishnamurthy was walking across one of the tributaries of Ganga, the 'Pancha Ghosh' Marg to Saranath. Shaji and I were waiting to shoot this without his knowledge. During summer although one can walk across the river, there always is a boatman waiting on the banks. What I saw is that as soon as Krishnamurthy saw the boatman he put his hand around his shoulder like good old friends, started talking and laughing with him. What touched me deeply was this simplicity. The last scene is not acted out for the film. I don't think he knew we were shooting. Do you have any film, which is half done or abandoned in your career? No. I do have some preliminary ideas for one or two films - one is about the migration from Travancore to Malabar. It would involve about four generations, moving from the love of the soil and land to the attractions of the city. What is your approach to your own personal life? My personal life is a free flowing one. Not very disciplined. Do you think your films receive adequate exposure and are well appreciated? I don't know - I don't think so. There are problems regarding distribution and exhibition. I have not been successful in propagating my films or explaining them. I have heard that you are a person of few words. When I told my friends about this interview, they were surprised and are waiting in anticipation. Normally I don't mingle with many people. I talk only little, even with the close friends I have. Also I don't encourage interviews since it is difficult to explain and answer all the questions. Again what comes out in print may not be the same as that which was discussed. Then one has to clarify etc. Well, I think that this is the first time I am talking at this length and depth about my films! [Translated from Malayalam by George Kutty A L] | Previous Page | | Home | Mail | | History of Indian Cinema | Indian Parallel Cinema | History of Malayalam Cinema | | Malayalam Parallel Cinema | Malayalam Middle-Stream Cinema | | Malayalam Cinema Database |