At a time when even doyens of the Tamil film industry are nervous about having a premiere of their film ahead of its theatrical release in the city, makers of Kuttram Kadithal were rewarded handsomely for taking the chance.
They bagged the top prize in the competition section at the Chennai International Film Festival, which concluded recently. Apart from winning the ‘Best Tamil Feature’ award at CIFF, it is also the only Tamil film to be screened in the Indian Panorama section of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) held at Goa.
When asked if they weren’t concerned about the bad reviews that a premiere could have generated, the film’s director, Bramma, credits the producers. “J. Satish Kumar was confident that the film would only generate a positive feedback,” he says.
The last film to be screened at CIFF, Kuttram Kadithal received a unanimous thumbs-up from the audience. The film’s crew — mostly newcomers, save for Paval who was the second lead in the acclaimed film Madras — was literally mobbed at Woodlands theatre.
The film’s making started with a casual conversation. “We [Bramma and the producer] thought, ‘let us do a feature film for one lakh’. It cost us much more than that. I didn’t want to feature the usual artistes and the film wasn’t made with any audience in mind,” the film-maker recollects.
The film is a delightful mix of arresting images, featuring vulnerable human beings going through extraordinary moments of religious doubt and an examination of the issues pertaining to abuse of children through the cannon of guilt.
“I feel the religious diversity that exists in India must be celebrated. This is the reason why the film features a Christian, Hindu, and a trade unionist who doesn’t believe in the divine. Of course, I couldn’t press on certain issues simply because of the pressure exerted by religious groups these days, but religious diversity and the tension are worth talking about,” says Bramma.
Despite dealing with a complicated social issue, the film manages to play out as a gripping social drama. “I was clear the film shouldn’t be preachy and wanted to create empathy with the audience. I knew the importance of not engaging in lengthy monologues while enunciating the problems faced by children,” he says.
The film-maker’s experience of working as a social worker had given him a perspective that helped him write the film in just 15 days. “I have worked as a social worker, have experience working with people. I wanted to spin a story around something that I know of,” he adds.
The film also daringly examines the role of the mass media when it covers issues relating to abuse of children to public. “I never thought about it that way. While I haven’t indicted the media in place, I honestly didn’t know that examining the role of media in cinema is problematic,” says Bramma, who has worked extensively in theatre and has only limited experience with film.
“I started out as a theatre actor before beginning to writing street plays for NGOs and government organisations. I slowly got hooked on to the moving image. My intention to do a film was to reach a wider audience,” he says.
The film-maker affirms that the reception the film received at IFFI Goa gave him the confidence that his team had made a good film.
