The Celluloid Poet

Govindan Aravindan (1935 - 1991) is one of my best-loved filmmakers. I had an early exposure to his films when my father took me to a screening of his Kummatty in 1979. That film largely helped define my film sensibility. From then on I diligently caught up with all his works on Doordarshan, the only Indian TV channel for a long time. I saw his final movie Vasthuhara in the theatre.  Aravindan passed away untimely in the same year that Padmarajan, ten years his junior, did. Some months before his passing, I had my only glimpse of the salt-beard pepper-mustached man, at a wedding at the Trivandrum Club in 1990.

Click to read critic C.S. Venkiteswaran's tribute to Aravindan 
Malayalam new wave cinema had come of age in the early seventies with P.N. Menon's Olavum Theeravum (1970) and Adoor Gopalakrishnan's Swayamvaram (1972). Kottayam native Aravindan studied Botany in college and worked for the Rubber Board. He ran a cartoon strip called Cheriya Manushyarum Valiya Lokavum for 12 years in the last page of Mathrubhumi journal. It featured two popular characters he created, Ramu and Guruji. Aravindan got involved in plays by directing C.N. Sreekantan Nair's Kali for a professional troupe in 1964 but it was a failure. Later he was to direct one more play, Avanavan Kadamba written by the doyen of Indian folk theatre, Kavalam Narayana Panicker, in '77. Navarangam and Sopanam were two music and theatre clubs he helped establish. His work took him to Kozhikode in the early 70s, a move that gave a fillip to his artistic endeavors, as he came to associate with many literary heavyweights there like artist Devan, playwright Thikkodiyan, Pattathuvila Karunakaran and M.T Vasudevan Nair.  Aravindan joined the band of parallel cinema makers with his maiden work Utharayanam (Throne of Capricorn) in 1974. From then on for a period of over a decade and a half, he made 10 feature films and a few documentaries that were visually evocative and are a rich addition to our culture oeuvre. He won several awards at State, National and International festivals for his works. The Government of India honoured him with Padma Shri in 1990.

Click to watch prolific screenwriter John Paul reminiscing about Aravindan
Adoor and Aravindan were a complementing pair in the arthouse department in the '80s just as Padmarajan-Bharathan were another pair mentioned together in the mainstream cinema. And because the common masses stayed away from many art films (taken to an extreme by experimentalists of the weirder kind, whose works incidentally are consigned to the dustbins of film-lore) which were anyway not released in theatres but only at festivals, they invited ridicule at worst. I remember Mammootty once remarking in a television interview that apparently two kinds of films were being made, one for Panorama and another for manorama (entertainment). The lines separating these two streams thinned down over the years as the makers became more flexible and the audiences more appreciative with increased exposure to international works. So much so that today we just talk in terms of good cinema and bad cinema and not art and mainstream. Adoor and Aravindan played their crucial bit in bringing about the transition. They were an interesting study in contrast though. As the Australian critic John W Hood writes in his book 'The Essential Mystery', Adoor '.....has avoided grand designs and epic scope, so that in all his films we see, in one form or the other, the individual in struggle depicted in a microcosmic perspective, intensity being very much a characteristic of his work' whereas in Aravindan 'the thematics of his work largely evolve out of an acute awareness of the irrational. His characters are less than logical in the respect they pay their own ideals and values or in their interpretation of whatever might be the will of the gods.'

Watch Canadian documentary maker and film theorist Thomas Waugh interviewing Aravindan
The visual impact is central to Aravindan's filmmaking. An artist who was also trained in music, Aravindan knew the importance of using music and dialogue in movies but only when they were essential, that is, the visual by itself fails to communicate the message. The contemplative silences, especially in a work like Kanchana Sita, sometimes drew flak from the analysts. [Aside: In a scene in 'Poochakkoru Mukkuthi' an early comedy caper by Priyadarshan, a director who has made close to a hundred films in Malayalam and Hindi, two characters enter a movie hall for a daytime show and start bickering there. Upon this, a man sitting in the row ahead of them turns back and chastises them with, 'Manushyane orangaanum sammathikkoole? (Won't you allow one to sleep in peace?). We get a glimpse of the film on the screen. Kanchana Sita! Now Priyan, like countless run-of-the-mill directors,  is a manufacturer of popular movies that disregard several cinematic elements in their insane devotion to dialogue. In fact, you can enjoy a Priyan movie entirely by listening to just its soundtrack. You don't miss anything, for such is the gross underuse of the camera. It is a pity that even today the first person that an Indian film producer approaches is the scriptwriter. Aravindan woke up early on to the realization that cinema is not a camera held to drama. He did away with melodrama and larger than life portrayals. As he went about capturing life's quirks in the context of the larger Nature, long and mid shots were abundant. All his works were underlined with warm compassion and love of fellow beings.  Aravindan's favorite filmmaker among world masters was Andrei Tarkovsky and among the Indians, Mani Kaul. Kaul on his part regarded Aravindan highly, stating that it must have been Aravindan's total commitment to cinema that helped him with his affinity to mysticism create a universe not limited by ethnic or regional boundaries. Aravindan's favorite among his own films was Esthappan. Let's take a look at his films.

Uttarayanam (Throne of Capricorn) 1974
The film, which he co-wrote with Thikkodiyan, is about an unemployed young man called Ravi who faces a series of encounters during his search for a job. Ravi reflects on the past struggles of the anti-British freedom fighters he has learned about from his paralyzed father. He eventually meets a freedom-fighter turned corrupt politician. The early 70s saw a slew of new wave movies reflecting the angst of unemployed youth, like Satyajit Ray's Prathidwandi and Mrinal Sen's Interview and this fits in that category. Hindustani rag Subha Panthuvarali is used extensively in the movie, including the song 'Hridayathin Romancham' penned by G. Kumara Pillai and tuned by K. Raghavan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EITpskf9HAw

Kanchana Sita (Golden Sita) 1977
This is the most meditative of Aravindan's works and probably the most controversial too. He adapted a play of the name by C.N. Sreekantan Nair. The Ramayana story at the time of the Aswamedham of Rama is at the core of the plot. Because Sita is banished to the forest, Rama had to make a golden replica of her to grace the ceremony. Divesting the mythology characters of all godliness and glamour, Aravindan portrayed them as tribals. He cast people from a tribe called Rama Chenchu who claimed to be descendants of Rama. Lakshmanan, in fact, was played by a chap with smallpox marks on his face. There is no female playing Sita, instead, she is shown as Mother Nature itself.  This was a bold departure from normal in the treatment of mythology. The film was shot in the deep forests by Godavari river in Andhra Pradesh. The erudite Communist leader and Chief Minister of Kerala, C. Achuta Menon was one of the vocal critics of the film, saying that Aravindan did not do justice to CN's play. Only twenty sentences from the play were used in the film. CN had incidentally passed away by the time the film came out. With this film, Shaji N. Karun became Aravindan's cinematographer, an association that was to last long.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1toicfb79dY

Thampu (The Circus Tent) 1978
Arguably the best movie of the maestro, Thampu blooded Nedumudi Venu. Several filmmakers have been fascinated by the story of a traveling circus troupe. Bharathan's Aravam, Hariharan's Valarthumrigangal, K.G. George's Mela, Lohithadas's Joker, etc are other examples from the language. In his National award-winning work of criticism, 'Chalachithra Sameeksha' noted critic Vijayakrishnan observes, 'With this third film, Aravindan makes it categorically clear that he does not have a distinct style of his own. He bids adieu to neorealist technique. The director of Thampu stands on the verge of cinema veritas and that style seems to suit him best.' He goes on to say that the film lacks coherence but ends up as an assortment of catchy images. What I particularly liked in Thampu is the minimalism. Trained in Hindustani music, Aravindan used great artists' music in his movies apart from composing for his and others' works. But here we have a song bereft of any music. Written by Kavalam Narayana Panicker and rendered by Usha Ravi (incidentally the wife of the producer Ravindranathan Nair) is enacted by a female artist blandly, thereby accentuating the miserable and forlorn life she and the troupe members lead. Sopanam music exponent Njaralath Rama Pothuval appears in a cameo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Juw5R_kjyo

Kummatty (The Bogeyman) 1979
Kavalam penned the story of this folk tale of a bogeyman who comes to a village and amuses the children there with his tricks. Despite the aura of mystery surrounding him, he is the friendliest of persons and his act is turning children into various animals and birds. However, the central character of the boy Chindan who is transformed into a dog runs away before be could be turned back to his old self. And the Kummatty goes away, throwing Chindan's family into agony. Things are set right eventually but the journey makes for a poignant story-telling. Lovely long and medium shots of the village, great songs from Kavalam, etc add to the myth of the bogeyman, making it a cherished cinema experience for young and old alike.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOLPcuqkudU
Esthappan (Stephen) 1980
Aravindan's favorite among his own films, Esthappan draws from Biblical myths. The protagonist is a rootless wanderer along the coast, about whom people debate if he is a saint or sinner. Played by painter Rajan Kakkanadan, the character draws religious images on the walls of buildings, curiously giggled at by the children of the locality. He is coldly detached from his fellow beings and surroundings though. There is the unmistakable touch of Kavalam in the story written by the theatre legend.  In the context of this film, critic Kozhikodan's remark is noteworthy. 'There are two types of directors - those who think with the viewers and those who make the viewers think along with them. The second mentioned category is rare in world cinema. Through the narration of Esthappan, Aravindan has risen to the ranks of such rare geniuses. Esthappan on its part is an exquisite work of art.'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gCGCSRNHn0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyzF7vnO1mc

Pokkuveyil (Twilight) 1981
Pokkuveyil is about a sensitive young man called Balu whose life is structured around his parents and three distinct relationships - with his girlfriend, a leftist activist and a young basketball player. Balu, played by real-life poet Balachandran Chullikkad, is a poet whose world gradually disintegrates when the relationships fail one by one. This is a very intimate, very psychological theme that Aravindan handles here. Long landscape sequences accompanied by Hariprasad Chaurasia's flute recital helps to perfectly build up the melancholic mood. Aravindan said in an interview that the musical form of the movie was what germinated in his mind first and not the plot. As Prof. V. Rajakrishnan points out, the disenchantment that Aravindan felt with narrative cinema methods is intensely felt when we arrive at Pokkuveyil. The director retains the ambiguity throughout and leaves the audience free for their own interpretation of the story.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EG9hjj0_5Ls
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmTSIyTYCUU

Chidambaram (1985)
This is a very visually appealing Aravindan film. Based on a short story by C.V. Sreeraman, the plot is about sin and atonement. If the original story was set in Port Blair, Aravindan relocates it to Mattuppetty. The film stars my all-time favorite Indian actress Smita Patil in her only Malayalam role. The flora and lush color of the location evocatively bring out the awakening of sensuality in the village woman who is seduced by the Office Superintendent Shankaran played by Bharat Gopi. In Sreeraman's story, the woman Akhilandammal (in the movie the name is Sivakami) is the one who initiates the union. The other main characters are Sivakami's husband and farmhand Muniyandi (played by Sreenivasan) and supervisor Jacob (Dr. Mohandas). The final atonement happens in Chidambaram temple. It is possible that the tormented  Shankaran just sees Sivakami in the woman cleaning chappals there, it may not be actually her. The closing shot is one of the best I have seen in a movie. The camera slowly pans from the two main characters skyward, to the slowly ascending crescendo of mridangam beat. There could not have been a better location than Chidambaram or the sky of consciousness for this grandiloquent ending.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNoKDkGlgjw

Click to watch the director and author Nasrin Munni Kabir reminiscing about the film  

Oridathu (Once Upon a Time) 1987
Based again on Sreeraman's story, it talks about a village getting electricity in the 1950s. There is the clash of modernity and tradition. Several subplots bring out the underlying exploitation, casteism, and superstition still rampant there. The film highlights the need to embrace change that comes with the onset of technology. With a considerably popular star cast and lots of dialogue, the film enjoyed a good mainstream run. It is also very humorous. Nedumudi's lineman with this southern Trivandrum slang is a laugh riot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGhuBW0wcXg

Marattam (Masquerade) 1988
Based on a one-act play by Kavalam, this is a movie that Aravindan made for television. Apart from debutant Urmila Unni, the cast has many performing artists. The film employs Kathakali, Pullivanpattu, Thampuranpattu, and Ayyappanpattu to tell a story within a story.  Keechakavadham (Slaying of Keechaka) kathakali sets the tone. Kelu Nair (valiyasan) plays Keechaka who is killed by kochasan who plays Valalan (Bheema). Did the character die, or the actor? Koipathiri who watches the play fantasizes that his wife Kavutty (Urmila Unni) is Sairandri who is infatuated by Keechaka. He owns up the murder of Keechaka. Kavutty says it was she who killed Kelu (and not Keechaka). The disciples are ridden by guilt that they killed their master. While in reality, no one dies, a major murder has played out in the conscience of humanity. Cops are sent to investigate it. The incident is explored from different angles. As C.S. Venkiteswaran writes in his appreciation of the auteur, the narrative is about the boundaries between actor and acting, performance and reality, evidence and fact, story and truth.
https://youtu.be/fiamagce50U

Vasthuhara (The Dispossessed)  1991
Aravindan's last film is again a Sreeraman story set against the Bangladeshi refugee influx prior to the Indo Pak War of '72. Aravindan talks about a fractured family and a dispossessed nation's people in one stroke. Set in Kolkata, it stars Malayalam's greatest superstar actor Mohanlal apart from Hindi actress Neena Gupta and Bengali actress Nilanjana Mitra. There is a bit of Padmini and her real-life niece Shobhana as her in flashback. Not exactly the best of Aravindan movies I would say.  The legendary critic Chidananda Dasgupta observes that though Aravindan deftly blends both Kerala and Bengal landscapes in their green abundance and harmoniously too, Salil Choudhury's incongruous music is an irritant in the movie. Plus Aravindan's indoor shooting does not quite match up to his picturization of vast outdoor spaces.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HZo9a8vHjw

Aravindan made another feature called Unni in 1989.
His important documentaries include,
The Catch (on elephant taming)
VT (on writer-revolutionary V.T. Bhattathiripad)
Sahaja (on the ardha-nareeswara concept)
A Home Away From Home 
The Brown Landscape (on environmental protection)
Contours of Linear Rhythm (on artist Nambuthiri)
The Seer Who Walks Alone (on philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pTi-fmVAPQ
Anadi Dhara (on the folk art forms of India)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3Df08kioz4

Aravindan's dream projects that remained unfulfilled include films on EMS and V.K. Krishna Menon. Shaji. N. Karun, Aravindan's cinematographer and later an independent director himself (Aravindan composed music for Shaji's directorial debut Piravi) made a documentary on Aravindan in 2000.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUM47q2mEUs

G. Aravindan did not believe that cinema was a group responsibility. For him, it was a director's medium as he alone had the holistic idea about the creation. The script was literally unimportant in his movies. The concept alone mattered. He always worked with a loose script and improvised a lot. Art for him was not an interpretation of life but creation itself. He did not think the purpose of art was to spread moral science lessons to people. If anything, it should intend to develop powerful yet compassionate humaneness in people, he felt.

References
The Essential Mystery: Major Filmmakers of Indian Art Cinema - John W Hood
Chalachithra Sameeksha - Vijayakrishnan
Aravindante Kala - O.K. Johny (ed)
Aravindan Jeevithavum Kalayum - Unnikrishnan, K.M. Das (ed)
K.N. Panicker The Theatre of Rasa - Udayan Vajpeyi (ed)
(August 2019)