Vinod MankaraAfter almost two decades, a Sanskrit movie, Priyamanasam depicting the life of 17th century Keralite—poet-scholar Unnayi Warrier—is set to open the panorama section in the 46th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
Credited as the third Sanskrit film in the history of Indian cinema, award-winning director Vinod Mankara who helmed the film in the 'language of Gods', took the path trodden by legendary film maker late G. V. Iyer, who is credited for making the first two Sanskrit films.
The film, even though recently rejected at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), has found its place as the inaugural film in the Indian panorama section of the International Film Festival of India beginning in Goa on November 20.
Vinod, who is no less happy, feels sad about the plight of 'International Film Festival of Kerala' and how art films are being pushed down.
The director said that he was thrilled that the Union government was honouring his film. "It's an honour to Sanskrit. For the past many years, Sanskrit has been considered a dead language. I hope this platform would widen up more discussions towards the art and language portrayed in the movie.”
Talking about the movie, Vinod said, “The one-and-a-half-hour-long movie is a period film, which revolves around the mental conflicts and agonies experienced by poet Unnayi Warrier while he penned his magnum opus 'Nalacharitham' aattakkatha (Kathakali play). The film is a result of 5-6 years of hard work. It feels great to hear that my movie is being recognized at international platforms. Festivals at California, Germany and London have already held discussions about the movie. But at the same time, when I look at our current state scenario, I take this recognition as a symbol of protest against those who neglected my hard work.”
On the sets of the movie 'Priyamanasam'When asked about the controversy surrounding the rejection of the film at IFFK over allegations that it promoted a certain ideology, the filmmaker said, "Allegations that my film promotes Hindutva agenda is not right. The story revolves around ancient Travancore and deals with the life of a poet-scholar who worked as a temple staff. It is a romantic story. It would be quite impossible to tell the story without using images of temples and religious rituals. People should see it as pure art. It is a pure art form and is related to music and artistic cultures. It has nothing to do with any kind of ideology.”
Admitting that the International Film Festival of Kerala is compromising on setting new standards in the field of cinema, Vinod feels more commercial films are making their way to film festivals. “When a National Award-winning film director and cinematographer like Shaji N Karun is appointed as the chairman, there arises a range of expectations regarding the screening of movies. But I am totally disappointed with the kind of movies selected for IFFK screening in the recent times. People selecting the films do not have a background in films and related disciplines. Many a times, I have heard they don’t even watch all the movies. It reflects that the jury is not at all serious and is sporting a totally unprofessional attitude.”
Vinod Mankara and Shaji KarunIt was a big setback when someone like Beena Paul left the festival, agrees the director Vinod. “IFFK is the third most significant festival in the country after IFFI and Calcutta film festival. From selection to approval, it takes 2-3 years for Beena to zero in on a film for IFFK. And since Priyadarshan has come on board, more commercial films are being promoted and IFFK that has not seen any progress. I feel it's high time that the government takes a note of it and takes requisite measures. Art films and documentaries do need a platform to reach out to the audience and that can be attained only through festivals like these.
The film Priyamanasam is the third Sanskrit film after Adi Shanakaracharya in 1983 and Bhagavad Gita in 1993. The director said he always wanted to make a film in Sanskrit as the language has been close to him since childhood. "I am a writer as well as a journalist. Sanskrit music has been a big part of my childhood. It was not an easy film to make, as it is the first Sanskrit movie to be made in 22 years. There are only two other Sanskrit films. In 2008, I had made a documentary with Kalamandalam Gopi in the lead and Priyamanasam is an extension of that.”
'Rajesh Hebbar did an amazing job as the lead actor in the movie', said VinodAbout the lead actor Rajesh Hebbar of Priyamanasam, Vinod says, “When the hunt for the protagonist began, I wanted an actor without a superstar tag. Rajesh Hebbar and I were college-mates and know each other quite well. When I told him about the character, he went ahead to take a special training in Kathakali, and I must say he did an amazing job. He is even better than Mohanlal, who did something similar in Vanaprastham. Even at the location, we used to have many discussions that helped us to imbibe a more scientific approach towards the character whom we just knew from history.”
The director, who has more than 600 documentaries to his credit, is currently working on two projects each in Tamil and Malayalam.
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