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| Varanasi:
Bala's next spiritual journey for Naan
Kadavul |
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Making
a low-budget “artsy” film
is a thankless job. Yes, they may
make the critics swoon in delight,
and lovers of cinema won’t tire
fawning over it, but it’s nearly
impossible to achieve what commercial
movies are all about – the fame,
the money and the adulation of millions
of fans. If there is one director
down South who has skillfully managed
to bring together both artistic merit
and clinking cash registers, it is
Bala, the man behind such critically
acclaimed blockbusters like Pithamagan
and Sethu. |
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Next
up on Bala’s palette is the Ajith-starrer
Naan Kadavul, for which the ace director
has worked 3 years on the script. Without
a doubt, Kadavul will be to Ajith what Pithamagan
was to Vikram – the transformation
of a mere “star” into an “actor”. |
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As
the very name suggests, this movie
will hover over a religious subtext
to get its message across. From what
we have found out, Ajith, an atheist
in the movie is said to play the role
of a singer who sings for last rites,
goes on a mission to Varanasi to discern
the meaning of God. That’s quite
a heavy subject for an actor who is
used to portraying the larger-than-life
hero in commercial potboilers. But
with Bala at the helm, he will unquestionably
bring out never-been-seen-before acting
prowess from Ajith. |
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And
no one has to complain about the production
values of the film as well –
Naan Kadavul features the very best
of technical expertise from the Tamil
movie industry, featuring Arthur Wilson
behind the camera, art director Krishnamoorthy,
and living legend Ilayaraja scoring
the music. As for the heroine, there
seems to have been a slight shuffle
with Bhavana, riding a popularity
wave after the success of Chitthiram
Paesuthadi, having replaced Meera
Jasmine. |
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Pre-production
on the film has already begun in full earnest,
with Bala’s assistants already scouting
for ideal filming locations in the sacred
city of Varanasi. Why, though? India, with
its entire rich cultural heritage, has countless
scenic spots of devotion, yet why has Bala
chosen Varanasi to shoot his spiritual epic? |
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It’s
not just Bala, come to think of it.
Varanasi has been the most preferred
destination among filmmakers from
all over the country when it comes
to showcasing India’s spiritual
wealth. Hermann Hesse’s Siddharth
comes to mind, as also Deepa Mehta’s
award winning film Water (which has
been chosen to be screened at the
prestigious Tribeca Film Festival
this year). The recent Hindi film
Banaras also featured the city in
all its grandeur, as did the Tamil
movie Amirdham. |
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Varanasi
has been known for its tradition,
sanctity and other-worldliness, that
even in this fast-paced and hectic
world, does not seem to let go of
the Indian psyche. |
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Varanasi
also presents a collage of other subjects
to explore, like the sanctimonious
reverence of the Ganga river, and
the wish of many devout Hindus to
bestow their Ashes to the river to
attain eternal salvation.
If any one of us was given the choice
as to the director who will do full
justice to the myriad forms of Varanasi,
Bala would definitely top most of
our lists.. |
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Of
course, in our society, anything even remotely
connected with religion is very closely
monitored. Bala may have to dodge some landmines,
as he tries to confront or gloss over sensitive
aspects which could offend certain members
of the audience. But as Bala has proved
time and again, his unbridled creativity
can work wonders when translated on screen.
As they say, Godspeed! |
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