Sadurangam directed by Karu Palaniappan with
Srikanth and Sonia Agarwal is slated to be the director’s
best and had it been released, Palaniappan’s stature
in the industry was sure to have reached a new high
but the path to release the film remains as checkered
as the title. Muriyadi, again produced by K Balachander’s
Kavithalaya, starring Sathyaraj and Ganesh Venkataraman,
directed by Selva is complete and has not seen the light
of the day. It is the same track for Anjana directed
Gautham Menon produced Veppam, Andrew directed Leelai
produced by Aascar and Padithurai directed by Suka and
produced by Arya.
If these are just but samples of issues that had
come to light there could be many such cases, tucked
in the lanes and by lanes of Kodambakkam wherein many
dreams remain in suspended animation. Would there
be a statement in defense? Should the enormity of
the finances involved, back-foot the producers to
the slow unwinding of their films? Well, there could
be a hatch to their defenses.
However, on the part of a director, especially for
Suka, Anjana, Selvan and Andrew, their debut film
not hitting the screen at the right time is tantamount
to an apocalypse. The director breathes his (her)
heart and soul to the project he/she greatly believes
in and has been living with it almost half his/her
lifetime. At least, if the reasons for the delay are
known, remedial measures, if any, could be taken.
In most cases, the director does not have a clue and
is groping in darkness.
This catch-22 situation could be quite nerve-wracking
for the maker who is keen to set a mark for himself
(herself) in the field as the industry exasperates
him further clinging to sentiments and luck factors.
The director struggles to move on to the next project
as suspicions over his credence mar the prospects
of new vistas and most times the questions find no
answers. The clouds of uncertainties over his future
are indeed overcast. It is akin to perpetual pregnancy
wherein ways and means to deliver your product to
the world are not known and is getting painful by
every passing day.
As the adage goes ‘time and tide wait for no
men’, clock ticks and leaves behind the film
and its maker. The content goes obsolete and archaic,
the star value (involved in the cast) changes and
sometimes for the worse. With this the dreams of the
maker hits the nadir for whom his (her) film’s
release at the right time would have enabled a smart
card entry into the industry.
Such cases are many in the filmdom and undoubtedly
there could be many woes on the producer’s side
too. However, if the keyholders find enough reasons
to delay unlocking the film to its release, such issues
need to be spelt to liberate the future, career, confidence
and dreams of the makers for the consequences are
many with a definite bias towards the undesirable.
The Phoenix faculty is still elusive for many. Having
to raise from the ashes needs a baptist, which only
the choicest few are destined to encounter. And unfortunately,
history only talks about success stories and not about
the ones who have lost, for no fault of theirs.
Will such forbearing wane in the industry? As untiring
hope is the only approach to progress in life, let’s
wish such instances go vestigial and there springs
forth a stream of undeterred flow of creative energy
in our dream factory.
And one would never know where future Mani Ratnams,
Shankars and Balas who had painted a fresh and intelligent
hue to Tamil films are hidden in the warp and weft
of the labyrinth of reels.
Let us not lose these creative energies to the economics.
Respond to jyothsna@behindwoods.com
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