Sanskrit film Priyamanasam , which was rejected by the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) for allegedly promoting Hindutva ideology, is all set to open the Indian Panorama 2015 section at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
Directed by Vinod Mankara, Priyamanasam , only the third movie to be made in Sanskrit, is about the 17th century poet-scholar, Unnayi Warrier.
The hour-and-a-half-long period film deals with the conflicts and mental agony experienced by Warrier, while penning his magnum opus Nalacharitham Aattakkatha (a Kathakali play). Vinod, delighted that the film has been selected for screening, denies that it has anything to do with Hindutva ideology.“The film is just pure art, and doesn’t seek to promote any ideologies,” Vinod says. He also doesn’t mince words when talking about the film’s rejection at the IFFK. “The jury was not up to the mark. The people in charge of the selection of films there don’t belong to cinema or journalism.” About making the film in Sanskrit, the director says that the language was always very dear to him. “Sanskrit music was a big part of my childhood. Priyamanasam was not an easy film to make, as it is the first Sanskrit film to be made in 22 years. As you know, there are only two other Sanskrit films ever made.” He’s referring to Adi Shankaracharya (1983) and Bhagavad Gita (1993), both directed by G V Iyer. The 10-day-long IFFI will begin on November 20.
