The Hindu : Front Page : ‘Kanchivaram’ clicks early in Toronto

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‘Kanchivaram’ clicks early in Toronto

Toronto: Filmmaker Priyadarshan has won praise at the 33rd Toronto International Film Festival for his Tamil film Kanchivaram, which depicts the lives and times of the silk-weavers of Kancheepuram in pre-Independent India. Known for his comedies, he has seemingly found a new avenue.

The film unfolds against the backdrop of the beginnings of the labour union movement in southern India.

“I am really excited. I’ve never made a film like this before and the response is overwhelming,” said Priyadarshan, who was here with lead actor Prakash Raj to promote the film.

Kanchivaram is a well crafted, visually lush film that has none of the ingredients that define Priyadarshan’s recent output. The applause that the film is generating here, he said, has enthused him to explore the possibility of attempting more offbeat films. “I can assure you that Kanchivaram isn’t going to be the only film of its kind that I will make.”

After the premiere here, Kanchivaram will be shown at the Pusan Film Festival in South Korea. There have been inquiries from festivals at Palm Springs, San Francisco and Stuttgart.

Priyadarshan said it was not easy for him to sell to a producer the idea of a film like Kanchivaram. “I went around with this idea for eight years,” said the director of hits such as Garam Masala and Hungama. “But whenever I approached a prospective producer, he would say: let’s make a commercial movie.” He praised the producers of the film for believing in the concept and backing him.

Priyadarshan, who wrote the story and the script, said he researched the subject prior to making the film Kanchivaram is Priyadarshan’s fifth Tamil film. “It had to be in Tamil for reasons of authenticity. It wouldn’t have looked and sounded right in any other language.” — PTI

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