The traditional art of pottery may not be as rewarding as it was but many following the profession continue to spin the wheel. City-based veteran journalist P K Sreekumar’s film Shabdam , which releases on Thursday, turns the spotlight on the plight of a family of potters who bravely combat odds to stay afloat despite trying circumstances.
Scripted by Sreekumar himself, Shabdam explores the struggles of Chakrapani (played by Jayant Mammen, also the producer), his wife, Sarala and son, Pambavasan, all speech and hearing-impaired who find their family profession threatened by a raft of factors. “As we have moved towards steel and other metals, lives of potters have taken a downward spin. These days, they manage to find a market mostly only on festival occasions such as Deepavali or temple festivals where pongala is offered. Scarcity of clay due to environmental factors is also hitting the community hard,” says Sreekumar about the choice of theme.
The roles of Sarala and her son are played by Ernakulam-based real-life siblings Sophia M Joe and Richard M Joe respectively who themselves are speech and hearing-impaired. Sreekumar says he was adamant about casting the duo for greater realism.
A still from Shabdam
“It certainly would have been easier to cast trained actors but I felt that the mannerisms of the differently-abled are unique and an actor may not be able to do full justice to them.” Prior to the shoot, debutants Sofia and Richard were given acting lessons for over a month to prepare for the challenging roles. “The two can easily understand speech through lip-reading. I was amazed at their ability,” says the 50-year-old.
But the ‘voice’ in the movie comes from Chakrapani’s sister, Shakunthala (played by Ruby Thomas), and her two children, all of whom serve as “the direct line of communication” between the central family in the film and the audience. “Much of the message is relayed through symbolism. But any sense of incompletion one may find in the three central characters due to their challenges is offset through those who can speak. That was the challenge,” adds Sreekumar.
P K Sreekumar
Set and shot near Pappanamcode in the city and its suburbs like Chenkal, Shabdam features writer Babu Kuzhimattom and Linu Isaac, among others, in the supporting cast. Jayakrishnan Unnnikrishnan cranked the camera and music for the film was composed by Bijibal.
Though journalism has informed Sreekumar of the key elements of the story and helped him etch the characters, he says he has attempted to shape the script completely from a filmmaker’s perspective. “As part of my (journalistic) beat, I have frequented the Government School for Deaf and Dumb in Jagathy for many years now. I have observed the lives of many differently-abled children first-hand. They too have a voice. I have tried to capture that,” he says.
Now, let’s listen to their voice.
