IFFI-2008 - International Film Festival of India

IFFI-2008
COMPETITION
2008, 35 mm, Colour, 117 mins, Tamil
India
Kanchivaram
In the thick of Kanchi's silk weaving industry, a common man is caught between the
society he lives in and his own ideals and individual dreams. Vengadam surprised one
and all when he promised his newborn daughter to drape her in a fine silk sari on her
wedding day. According to tradition, a promise made to one's newborn child on the first
day of feeding is a lifelong one: it must be kept, come what may. The skeptics warned
Vengadam that he would never be able to fulfill his promise on his weaver's income. And
breaking the promise would spell dire consequences. With full faith in his abilities,
Vengadam refused to budge. If youth brings optimism, it brings resourcefulness, courage
and recklessness in equal measure. Aware that his meagre salary could not buy his
daughter a silk sari, a determined Vengadam started stealing one solitary thread of silk
every day. When going home he would be frisked from head to toe, but the guards never
found the thread he hid in his mouth. Every night he would sneak into his cattle shed to
weave a strand. As the days and years passed, his diligence paid off and the sari increased
in length as his daughter grew into a young lady. Vengadam's life changed forever when a
Communist preacher appeared in his village. The apolitical weaver became a living,
breathing Communist. His affiliation to the ideology helped him become a leader of the
community. He instigated a revolt against the mill owners who ruled over the workers
like feudal lords and the mills were shut down. Neither the owners nor the workers were
ready for a compromise. As the strike got prolonged, his daughter's wedding approached,
and Vengadam realised that he could not get any silk from the closed mills. Torn between
his vow and his ideology, he started questioning the principles of Communism. He
realised that preaching is easier than practicing a philosophy.
Director
S Priyadarshan
Screenplay
S Priyadarshan
Cinematography
Thiru
Editor
Arun Kumar
Music
M G Sreekumar
Cast
Prakash Raj, Shreya Reddy, Shammu
Production & Sales
Percept Picture Company
11/12, Raghuvanshi Estate
S B Marg, Lower Parel (W)
Mumbai 400013
T: 022 30428833
F: 022 24923189
S Priyadarshan hails from Thiruvananthapuram, where his father, Nair, worked as
librarian at the University of Kerala. It offered him the opportunity to read the literary
works of every famous writer. His fascination for comics and fairy tales is reflected in his
movies. His childhood dreams of being a cricketer were cut short when a wayward ball
flew into his left eye. Priyadarshan entered films around the time when his friends -
including superstar Mohanlal, singer M G Sreekumar and producer Suresh
Kumar - were starting out. His very first film Poochakkoru Mookkuthi was a
blockbuster. His success is attributed to his outlook - the signature slapstick comedy he
extensively uses in his films. His close friend Mohanlal has featured in the lead of his
most successful films. Chithram (1987) is considered their best film to date, while
Kilukkam ranks among the biggest hits in Malayalam cinema. Priyadarshan has also
directed Hindi, Tamil and Telugu films. Muskurahat (1993), a remake of Kilukkam,
marked his entry into Bollywood. Gardish, his first Hindi hit, was a remake of Kireedam
(1989). Priyadarshan met his wife, Malayalam actress Lizzy (Lakshmi Priyadarshini),
on the sets of his second film. They have worked together in 12 movies, and have two
children, Kalyani and Sidharth.
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