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Caught between two time zones

VIJAY GEORGE

`Drushtantham' is about an ageing `Theeyattu' artiste who has to come to terms with the rampant commercialisation of art forms.

STRADDLING PAST AND PRESENT: Murali as Vasunni in M.P. Sukumaran Nair's `Drushtantham.'

Vasunni looks up eagerly as the police constable walks into his cabin. The anguish on his face reflects his emotions as he impatiently waits for his turn. Director M.P. Sukumaran Nair's `Drushtantham' narrates the life and times of Vasunni, an ageing `Theeyattu' (temple art form) artiste.

Dilution of values

"In today's globalised environment, the market is vying only for things that sell. Popular thinking has been moulded in such a way by now and it has been true for culture too. `Drushtantham' has been set in such a backdrop where Vasunni is forced to accept the diktats of the changing lifestyles and way of thinking, as even his family wants him to be in tune with the changing times.

"Theeyattu is an art form mainly seen in the temples in some parts of Kerala," explains the director.

The shot is being canned at an old police station in Kottayam. The director and cinematographer K.G. Jayan is busy deciding the position of cameras for the next shot.

Sukumaran Nair is an alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India whose oeuvre includes films such as `Kazhakam,' `Aparahnam' and `Shayanam.'

Actor Murali essays the role of Vasunni in the film.

Marketing art

Says Murali, "Vasunni painfully witnesses the erosion in our rich cultural heritage. He has difficulty in digesting the new mantras where the value of virtually everything is gauged by its market potential. He silently suffers when he looses his own cultural identity."

This is Murali's second film after `Pulijanman' that examines the erosion of culture and identity owning to the forces of the market.

Murali feels that if the characters in `Pulijanmam' are more vocal and even physical at times, Vasunni in `Drushtantham' is someone who underplays his emotions.

Vasunni's family consists of his wife and three children. While his elder daughter is married to an inspector, his younger daughter is a small-time actor and his son is into the latest trends.

Says the director, "Although Vasunni was reluctant to perform `theeyattu' on a house boat to entertain tourists, his son persuades him too. These days, there are takers only for popular culture and in the bargain, the traditional art forms get sidelined."

`Drushtantham' is being produced by Rachana films. It has Margi Sathy, Indrans, Radya, Revathi and Jijoy among others, in the cast.

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