PARADESI – Is
this film a Documentary, a Visual Narrative of sorts, a feature film, an art
film, a docu-drama or a fantasy film
conjured by a film director’s futile attempt to promote and show case his
talent in film making. Let me take one step at a time in reviewing this film.
1)
The dry landscape of the film sets
the tone of the film so much so even the lush green tea gardens of Nilgiris
somehow looks dry and parched. Even the water sources seem like puddles and the
Lovely queen of hills gives you the feel that the el nino effect was fast
transforming the lush green Nilgiri
landscape into a desert even as far back
in 1939. The camera texture, angles, and lighting adds to the rawness of the
film. The costumes especially the ikkath and block printed saris worn by the
women definitely do not belong to that period. The costumes worn by the male
characters were also not convincing enough ( especially the dhotis probably
dipped and stained in a cauldron of tea leaves to make them look soiled and
dirty failed to convince me of the authenticity of that period). The film
maker’s portrayal of our rulers the British was by far the biggest joke of them
all! The Euoropean boss man of the tea estate talks better Tamil ( ie. an
average Tamil speaking like yours truly can follow) than the Tamil spoken by
the Ramanathapuram villagers whose dialect I could not follow most often. I
think these days one has to learn all the dialects of Tamil spoken throughout
the state to understand the dialogues spoken in Tamil films. Kadal being the
most recent example and now Paradesi! The British tea estate owners were at
most times portrayed as drunken rapists. In between the lone British lady
unconvincingly tries to glorify Gandhiji’s noble traits and ideals.
2)
Next comes the Indo British doctor
and his devout white Christian wife’s who desperately try to desperately
convert the Hindu (idiot) natives using some amazing at times comical
techniques in their conversion methods. In fact their crazy rap like dance
steps and Michael Jackson movements are the only lighter and comedy track in
the film. One movement even comically depicts the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
That will be my next point in this review.
3)
I wonder how so much of crudity and
vulgar dialogues were passed over by the censors and a U certificate was issued
by censors when lesser directorial sins were dealt with severely and
mercilessly by our censors in the recent past. I suppose national award winning
directors get the red carpet treatment and such liberties are condoned and pardoned
by the august body.
4)
What was this filmmaker trying to convey,
that plantation workers during the pre independence era ie. during the British
rule were treated like scum. They were treated as bonded labour/slaves and were
repeatedly exploited/vandalized/raped and tortured. But so were indigo planters
and millions of other Indian natives and that is why the country under the
leadership of Gandhi revolted and fought for their basic human freedom. Now
does the director during the course or end of the film ever so much as tries to
convey that such practices exist even today. No he does not! So what is the
film maker trying to convey – that slavery very much existed in India as it did
in the USA and other white dominated countries. Kudos to the film maker for enlightening
this point repeatedly in the year 2013. Does this remarkable revelation strike
an emotional chord or is one able to empathize and connect with the characters
in the film. An empathic No would be my answer. Well that is my next point.
5)
The histrionics ( Many a time termed
as over acting when the late Sivaji Ganeshan enacted such scenes more
convincingly and with aplomb in the past) than Atharva who plays the main lead
in the story. All the torture he endures under his captors, especially the
portion where his ankle bone or tendon (don’t really know as the lighting was
rather dark) is pinched with pliers to restrict his movements still fails to
evince even an iota of empathy or sympathy from yours truly. Atharva’s Tamil diction
and pronunciation while dubbing seems rather forced and put on. His delivery
was for most part not in sync with the lingo of that period as played out by
the film maker. The first female lead Vedika plays her part more convincingly in
parts but even her acting powers failed to enhance her part in the film. Her
makeup turns from dark to dusky to fair as the film progresses. The child she
gives birth to seems to have inherited her skin pigmentation from someone else
other than her parents (which is off course genetically possible). The second
lead in the film Dhansika is the only stand out performance in this film. She
surpasses herself in the role given to her and has naturally essayed herself
into the role she plays. She reminds one of Nandita Dass at her best. This
damsel will go a long way if she gets the right breaks. Other than her the
character who plays the native slave master has played his part to the tee and
deserves applause. There were other minor characters like the hunch backed old
grandmother, the native quack doctor (whose one lens spectacle baffled me since
the doctor seems to be earning quite a bit and could easily afford a decent
pair of spectacles) and the slave master’s wife have also played their
respective parts reasonably well.
6)
Finally let me sum up the review.
Director Bala has not done enough research on the subject of the film. He has
failed to bring out anything out of the ordinary with respect to the
performance of the actors. The actors over act and react most often times. The
re recording score is jarring most times. On the whole the music acts as a
deterrent to the subject. The songs do not stick and the music director has
failed to understand the subject. Less said about the costumes the better. On
the whole director Bala is on a solo trip and one gets the feeling that he
cares two hoots about what the viewers feels about this film. Yours truly while
watching the film under great duress wanted to SCREAM every now and then “WILL
SOMEONE PLEASE TURN THE LIGHTS I CANNOT SEE ANYTHING” but better sense prevailed in the end, hence
this REVIEW.
Yours truly,
hC
