Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

Tracing a tradition

Pavitra Chalam's "Anamika Her Glorious Past" has gained entry into the Indo American Arts Council Film Festival to be held in New York

PEEK AT THE PAST A scene from "Anamika Her Glorious Past"

From lover of the Gods, Nithya sumangali, temple dancer and second most powerful person in the temple hierarchy till the 18th Century to being dubbed a fallen woman thereafter, the status of the Devadasi had taken a beating. Impelled by a desire to explore this change, a young alumnus of the New York Film Academy, Pavitra Chalam, has made a short film titled "Anamika Her Glorious Past," which has gained entry (it was a last minute submission) into the Sixth Indo American Arts Council Film Festival to be held in November this year in New York. The festival, incidentally, opens with Mira Nair's film "Namesake."

Made for her thesis at the New York Film Academy with her batchmates doubling as the crew, Pavitra's film is crisply edited, well-told and aesthetically pleasing. It was screened at The Park in Chennai recently.

Describing her film as belonging to the world of documentaries but a "reconstruction", the Bangalore-bred Pavitra says it involved taking a piece of history and reconstructing it. It is juxtaposed with interviews with Guru Swati Bhise who has provided a context and facilitated a deeper understanding of the subject. It is also interspersed with eye-catching visuals of beautiful dancers celebrating the great tradition while the tail end of the film is really born out of Pavitra's imagination of what a Devadasi's life might be like today. (Since she came to know that there was a Devadasi girl right there in New York in this day and age.)

Well researched

Admitting that she knew very little about the Devadasis to start with, Pavitra researched her story by spending a lot of time talking to people in the Sanskruti Centre, New York, writing to people who have written about the Devadasi tradition and understanding the different perspectives and versions. She chose Guru Swati Bhise "because she is a Bharatanatyam dancer who is proud of her lineage. A true Bharatanatyam dancer is one who knows the most about the Devadasis thanks to what the gurus have passed on and that is precious."

What drove her to choose this subject?

When I went to New York, I was disillusioned with how film people chose conventional topics that are all about audience appeal such as murder, suicide and love. My first film was about the use of hands in Bharatanatyam, then I made a short film on prostitution called "Bound by us." And I got thinking about how prostitution started and where Bharatanatyam figured in all this. My interest in the Devadasis grew when I learnt that they were from Tamil Nadu. When you go away from home you're more in tune with home," she explains.

The filmmaker, Pavitra Chalam

Her primary aim was to tell her batchmates who were from all over the globe a unique story about India. The New York Film Academy has even made a spot taking pride in women directors like Pavitra. What did it feel like directing an all-male crew?

"It was great. I've heard stories about women film makers being treated badly but I couldn't have been treated better. There are fewer women in the field but you have ownership of the film and the crew comprises all artistes and they are your crew. It's all about communication."

"Of course, we were all in creative combat about things like lighting, framing and colour psychology. The crew was so fascinated by the concept that they wanted to know more and provided insights to heighten the mood of the film to make it appealing to a world audience."

As for the immediate future, she says a sequel to this film is on the cards. She also plans to make films on women-oriented subjects. Doing short films for NGOs that work with children to help them raise funds is also something close to her heart.

As we wrap up the interview, she says, "If you are looking at issues that are important then documentary films have to be given the same respect as feature films." She hopes funding will be forthcoming in future for young film makers.

Sure, Pavitra Chalam knows how to call the shots.

SUDHA UMASHANKER

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail