Chidambaram

About the film

Chidambaram. is a 1985 Malayalam film written, directed and produced by G. Aravindan. It is the film adaptation of a short story by C. V. Sreeraman. The film explores various aspects of relations between men and women through the lives of three people living in a cattle farm. Themes of guilt and redemption are also dealt with. Bharath Gopi, Smita Patil, Sreenivasan and Mohan Das play the lead roles. It won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film and five Kerala State Film Awards including Best Film and Best Direction.

Plot

On a vast government-own farm situated in the Western Ghats, on the border of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Muniyandi, a worker who tends to the farm's cattle, tells the superintendent, Shankaran that he is getting married and that he needs money. Shankaran agrees, but Jacob, the supervisor under him, is not particularly excited. He demands that Muniyandi return to the farm as soon as his wedding is over. Shankaran invites Muniyandi to drink with him, and when Jacob shows up, him as well; Jacob refuses, taking offense at drinking in the company of a "menial". Muniyandi falls at Shankaran's feet and sings a song about Shiva in repentance.

Shankaran travels to Muniyandi's village to attend the wedding and volunteers to take pictures. The couple go back to the farm on a bullock cart and then a jeep. Shivakami, Muniyandi's wife, is astounded by the lush landscape of Kerala. She discovers a flower garden and eagerly tells Muniyandi about her exploration of the farm. He takes it poorly, implying to Shivakami that she shouldn't wander the farm without him. Later, she decides to write a letter back home and approaches Shankaran to write the address on the envelope in English. Shankaran takes pictures of Shivakami, who gives up her typical reservations.

The actors Nedumudi Venu and Innocent show up at the farm for an event. Shankaran throws a picnic for them, which Jacob joins. Jacob passes a remark on Shivakami's character, which enrages Shankaran, who tries to punch Jacob.

Production

Aravindan wanted to make a film adaptation of the story written by C. V. Sreeraman. For three years he unsuccessfully tried to get a producer for the project. Then he decided to produce the film himself. The film was made with a tight budget. Filming was primarily held in Mattupetty, near Munnar in Idukki District.

Unlike earlier films directed by Aravindan, Chidambaram featured a cast consisting of many popular actors. Smitha Patil, who had expressed her desire to work with Aravindan and Gopy joined the project. More actors came forward after learning that Aravindan is producing the film himself. According to Aravindan, "Smita Patil had expressed her desire to act in one of my films much before this. Gopi was also willing to come. When they learned that it is my own production, many artists came forward to help. No one acted in the film expecting any financial returns from me. They did it for me."

Themes

The film's two halves deal with two different major themes. The first half primarily explores man-woman relations. Even though Shivakami is loved by Muniyandi, she is drawn towards a more charismatic Shankaran. Shankaran is not too serious about his relation with Shivakami. According to Aravindan, "Shankaran's affinity to Shivakami at best is an infatuation. May be that is why he was unprepared and unable to face up to the eventualities." The second half concentrates on Shankaran's response to the events after he runs away from the farm, and it deals with the themes of guilt and redemption. Then there are minor themes such as fading of caste barriers, represented by Shankaran with his relaxed attitude towards people from lower castes, like Muniyandi and Shivakami.

Chidambaram is a temple town located in Tamil Nadu. Shankaran finds Shivakami at Chidambaram in the end of his journey. The legend of Chidambaram temple revolves around a dance contest held between Lord Shiva and Goddess Kali. Kali, the reigning goddess of Thillai forest near Chidambaram witnessed the Ananda Thandava (dance of bliss, as depicted in the famous Nataraja posture) by Shiva and challenged him to a contest. Shiva, wishing to eliminate her arrogance agreed under the condition that whoever wins would become the Lord of Thillai. During the contest, Shiva performed the Urdhva Tandava (one leg pointed straight up), which Kali couldn't perform. Some legends suggest she was unable to do it out of modesty, and Shiva deliberately performed it with Kali's gender in mind. However, Kali conceded defeat, felt guilt for her arrogance and became a devotee for Shiva. Shankaran, the name of the protagonist is another name of Shiva. The name Shivakami means either one who loves Shiva or one who is loved by Shiva and is the name of the female deity in the Chidambaram Temple. The uneven relationship between Shiva and Kali is reflected in the relationship between Shankaran and Shivakami as well.

Various Shaivite musical pieces can be found in the movie's background. Gopalakrishna Bharati's kritis "Margazhi Matham Thiruvathirai Naal" in Navroj, "Vazhi Maraithirikkudu" in Todi, and "Sivaloganathanai Kandu" in Mayamalavagowla, and the Thevaram hymn "Thondar Anju Kalirum Adakki" (which discusses the Kedarnath Temple) are featured in the first half.

Key details