KOCHI: November 24, 1972, Friday, saw Malayalam cinema awakening to a novel visual sensibility; a cinematic experience like never before, treading a path that would in future significantly impact the very concepts of movie-making, not in Kerala, but across the country.
A directorial debut from a hitherto unknown filmmaker who later went on to forge himself as Kerala’s unique signature on the global film atlas, Swayamvaram went on to chart an alternative course in Indian cinema. Setting in motion a new wave in Malayalam, the 1972 movie became the harbinger of parallel cinema through its director Adoor Gopalakrishnan.
The movie was a realistic portrayal of the life of a young couple Vishwam (Madhu) and Sita (Sharada) who marry against the wishes of their families. The initial days of screening did not garner much response and had shows in just a few theatres. It also failed to make it to the state awards too. It was when the movie garnered four national awards that it made a triumphant return to theatres, eliciting a tremendous response from the masses. Later, the movie was screened at a slew of festivals including the Moscow International Film festival.
Swayamvaram brought with it a different texture of filmmaking in Malayalam. Never before had Keralites come across such a movie. Spectators were introduced to an altogether new visual experience. Till then, all they had experienced were dialogues and background scores. In most movies, the background score would be seeped in right from the word go and would be used to condition the viewers. Every single scene would have dialogues per se. Swayamvaram, however, broke all such familiar concepts.
The introductory scene itself is a long bus journey that lasts for 3 to 4 minutes without a single dialogue. When the movie was released, people were pretty hesitant at first. There were scenes with absolutely no dialogue whatsoever. Viewers were not used to such an experience, recalls Adoor.
“Their idea of cinema had more to do with listening than seeing. To put it simply, they were yet to be not visually trained. More than story-telling, I wanted them to experience cinema through a visual language pegged over differing layers. The more you watch the movie, the more you can imbibe. As movie-makers, we should be able to deliver a lifetime experience to the one who comes to watch a two-hour movie,” said Adoor.
Not only for viewers, the movie was a different experience for its cast and crew also. It was a good story from an excellent director, observed Sharada, the lead actress in the movie, who won the best actress national award for the film. Then a 27-year old, it was also her first arthouse movie.
“Though it was his first movie, Adoor had absolute clarity about what he wanted to depict. Being commercial artists, our acting tended to be a wee bit more dramatic. Adoor would then come near us and gently remind us to tone it down a bit. He’s now known across the globe for his unique brand of cinema,” she told TNIE.
The veteran actor says she still maintains good relations with her co-actor Madhu. The golden jubilee of the movie is also a recognition for Madhu who bagged a Filmfare award for his role. A movie made on a shoestring budget of Rs 2.5 lakh rupees of which Rs 25,000 went to Sarada as her remuneration, Swayamvaram could rake in the moolah, a huge accomplishment in those times. The movie had ignited its share of controversies too, as filmmaker K P Kumaran, then co-writer with Adoor made some claims over its screenplay.
A creative innovator-par-excellence is how writer V K Cherian chose to term Adoor. He says Adoor was able to create a new sensibility and spark curiosity among spectators with his film society movement. Cherian who has come up with a comprehensive account of the film society movement in Kerala points out that Adoor made six major creative innovations from Swayamaram to Vidheyan. “He is the one who showed the world what Malayalam cinema is. Through his movies, Malayalam as a language and culture were accepted throughout the world,” he said.
Swayamvaram is the beginning of a creative journey by a master filmmaker, who firmly believes in the power of the frame. “I enjoy my films and the entire process of making my films. I think there are like-minded people like me who too would enjoy the experience,” says Adoor. And each of his 12 films, starting from Swayamvaram, stands as testimony to this fact. Meanwhile, elaborate programmes are being organised in connection with the golden jubilee of Swayamvaram across the country.