A maker waits with fingers crossed
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Filmmaker Jayabharathy is getting ready with his next project and his never-say-die attitude ought to take him places, writes MALATHI RANGARAJAN
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Filmmaker Jayabharathy
THE LAST time you had spoken to filmmaker Jayabharathy was about six months ago. He had sounded depressed about the cinema trends and the scenario around him. But his tenacity is unbelievable. Come hell or high water the man is not going to budge from the neo-realistic cinema he strongly believes in. He's made seven so far, including the much-acclaimed "Kudisai," his first film. Jayabharathy's "Nanba... Nanba" won the National Best Supporting Actor award for Chandrashekar a couple of years ago. His "Irandu Paer Vaanathai Paarkiraargal," a poignant story of a water-starved village should be his next project ... if he finds a few committed minds with a penchant for meaningful cinema. "How can I be a passive spectator to the depravity, which permeates down to all levels in the name of entertainment," he asks.
Incredible optimism
Jayabharathy wrote the story of "Irandu Paer ... " more than three decades ago. (Even before Komal Swaminathan came up with "Thanneer Thanneer" on the same issue, which K. Balachander later made into a film.) Since then he has been trying to find somebody who would understand its merit and come forward to produce it. At one stage even Kamal was keen about the project. Recently Jayabharathy's hopes have been revived after Kavya, the publishing house, came forward to release the script of "Irandu Paer ... " as a book. Says Jayabharathy: "Prakash Raj is also very passionate about cinema. He has shown great interest in a crossover Indian-English film, which I have in mind. `Nandita Das would be apt as the heroine,' he suggested. I am eagerly waiting to hear from him ... "
The story of "Irandu Paer ... " has love, sentiment and villainy all backed by a strong storyline. And because the theme is eternally relevant it ought to make an impact.
Pace — a casualty
It is almost an unwritten rule that parallel cinema as opposed to the commercial has to be slow and serious — reasons why they don't draw the ordinary filmgoer. And if you are talking about realism, life is not all that slow ... art filmmakers don't seem to give thought to the vital ingredient, viz., pace. "I am against slowness too ... Shyam Benegal didn't believe in it either. But Adoor Gopalakrishnan's can be termed personal cinema, he intends his films to be very slow and abstract. Mani Kaul's films are similar. However, I believe in the French neo-realistic style ... the simple narrative," contends Jayabharathy.
Films today have to cater for youth if they have to be commercially viable ... "Sure. You've read my "Irandu Paer ... " Don't you think there's enough to attract young filmgoers?" he counters. "The recent "Kadhal" I feel, is a well-made film, though I don't quite go with the content. My story is a strongly romantic one too, set in backdrop of the acute problem of water. It has two villains, the bad teashop owner Bangaru, and Nature that makes the village reel under severe drought. Still my story ends on a positive note. I try to strike a balance between art and commercial ... " Jayabharathy elaborates.
Film society movement
So active in places such as Kerala but hardly extant in this part of the country ... "That's one reason why we people continue to struggle. In Kerala you have an affluent cashew exporter or a wealthy trader funding small, worthwhile films. Here people don't come forward to support makers like us. Yet ironically our number is on the increase ... Lenin, Amshan Kumar and Janaki Viswanathan to name some," smiles Jayabharathy. Subsidy from the State Government remains a pipedream for these filmmakers because according to Jayabharathy a minimum of eight prints have to be made for a film to be considered.
Jayabharathy explaining a scene to Chandrasekar and Charlie on the sets of "Nanba ... Nanba"
"With each print costing around Rs. 60,000 the cost of eight would be too much of an investment ... "
Up and about
With renewed vigour Jayabharathy is gearing for the shoot of the film at Purisai, near Kanchipuram. Ramesh Vyas, who has worked with Jayabharathy throughout, will be the cinematographer, and Isaac Thomas, the composer. "I plan to approach Ilaiyaraja too. Na. Muthusamy has offered to help me out with the props and the film will be shot entirely outdoors ... I plan to use Koothu-p-pattarai and Pariksha artistes. I'm working out cost effective ways of making the film, if I'm able to mobilise the funds I can start straightway." Jayabharathy (Ph: 55484830) jayabharathy_film@yahoo.co.in winds up on an enthusiastic note.
It is not just the two characters of "Irandu Paer ... " who are looking up to the Heavens with hope, but their creator too, who is eagerly waiting to realise his long pending celluloid dream.
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