Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Cinema Plus | Young World | Property Plus | Quest |

An issue looms large

HOPE FOR HANDLOOM Aditi Rao dances to the song of the loom in the documentary

Handloom, our fabled cultural fabric, is fast fading from our social fabric. Dingy looms with frail women and famished men beating the warp rhythmically are giving way to well-organised power looms with roaring machines that churn out fabrics in ream s. So what happens to the woven legacy of the country?

Well, going by Latha Menon’s 45-minute documentary for the National Film Development Corporation, the music of the warp will continue and delicate weaves in sun-drenched hues and intricate motifs will continue to beckon those with refined sensibilities.

The documentary that explains the Swarna Jayanthi Gram Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY) project by the Government of India and the Government of Tamil Nadu, is a sensitive take on the fate of the weaving community that’s faced with decreasing patronage and a dwindling work force.

Through the story of a beautiful girl (succinctly played by Aditi Rao of Sringaram fame), the documentary takes us to our roots — rural India with lush landscapes, huge homes with open spaces, meaningful rituals and an unhurried pace of life. The lead character, who revisits her past, is filled with memories of her cheerful grandmother, an everlasting symbol of tradition and culture. As memory plays up before her, she sees herself as a little girl (fine portrayal by Vidya) assisting her grandmother (played by the charming Kishori Balal) in household chores.

I wanted to tell it like a story — without compromising on realism,”

“If you watch carefully, I’ve used a lot of hand skills — from plucking flowers for puja and drawing kolams to stitching. This subtly establishes our link with our woven tradition that greatly depends on the deftness of the fingers,” explains Latha.

As she surveys her ancestral home, the protagonist comes across her grandmother’s exquisite collection of handloom saris. It’s at this point that the documentary veers from fiction to fact. From the past, we get drawn into the present and the plight of weavers. Velvety visuals give way to unthinkable starkness. Dark, cramped rooms with clumsy looms. Widows bent with age weaving away until sunset. And men with tell-tale faces talking about the insecurity of their future. The camera traverses various parts of Tamil Nadu to capture glimpses of weavers’ lives. “I didn’t want it to have a news-reel-like quality. I wanted to tell it like a story — without compromising on realism,” smiles Latha.

To match the poetry of the weaves, she added a few lilting songs with meaningful lyrics by Na. Muthukumar and Yugabharathi. “The songs have come out really well. It will be nice if they are beamed on the music channels,” she says. Whether it’s the evocative “Chinna china…” or the expressive Villupaatu that portrays real case studies, the songs are tastefully shot. “I included these case studies because I wanted to show how failures in their professional lives impact the personal lives of the weavers. And how the SGSY project has come to their aid. Weavers are now taught how humble handloom can become a statement-making fabric.

They are motivated to experiment with patterns, combinations and weaves to match the tastes of today’s customer. That’s not all. They are also encouraged to diversify their product range. So it’s not just saris, there are trendy stoles, table and bed linen among other things. You’ll be astounded by the creation of the weavers.”

For Latha, whose Iris Films has produced scores of ad films (remember actor Suriya in nine avatars in the Aircel ad?), it was the cause of the weavers that made her take up the documentary.

“I love working on real stories. Experience in ad films helps me cut the riff-raff from the documentaries. Earlier, I did a documentary on the Tiruvanmiyur temple tank for INTACH. Now, I’m working on one for the NGO Karnaprayag. Such works are truly satisfying. I hope this documentary on weavers will be shown widely, so that the message gets across.”

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail