Prashanth’s Ponnar Shankar released
last week and it has garnered praise for the
sets and the kind of filmmaking that transports
us to the past. Despite not being historical,
some Tamil films in the last few years have
taken us back to the past with its story,
sets, costumes, props and many more things
shown on screen. Here is a look at those films
that made a difference with their mise-en-scene.
Madrasapattinam: This hit
film was set in pre independent era. It is
the heartwarming story of an Indian Dhobi
(Arya) and a high class British woman (Amy
Jackson) falling in love, dissolving cultural
and language barriers. The dhobi areas, buildings,
boats, trams, the costumes that the characters
wear were impeccably like in 1940s and transported
the audience to that era. The song ‘Va
ma Duraiamma’ showcased the beauty of
the 1940 Madras.
Ilaignan: Though the movie
did not perform well at the box office, this
film set very close to the first struggle
for independence stood out for it amazing
art direction by Thotta Tharani. There is
a particular prop- a big ship under construction
is one of the most magnificent pieces of work
seen in Tamil cinema over the last many years.
The film also showcased the atrocities working
class faced due to the ruling class’s
arrogance and ill treatment. Namitha’s
over sized hats were a nice example of the
accessories that rich women wore back then.
Pokkisham: Pokkisham was
an inter caste love story but what made a
world of difference is the fact that it was
set in the early 1970s. Unlike the technological
inventions today which dissolves distances,
in those days letters were the only means
of communication and occasionally a telephone
was used. The habit of writing letters, the
kind of clothes working men wear, the hair
style, the aluminum lunch box men carry for
work and the port in which Cheran works were
shown on screen. In this internet obsessed
era, this film made a statement with hand
written letters.
Subramaniapuram: The film
made maximum buzz for its violent content
but that hasn’t made us not notice that
it was set in the 1980 Madurai. The retro
style of dressing, the thiruvizha, the row
of continuous houses, the language spoken,
helped our time machines work backwards and
made us revisit the 1980s.
Looks like historical and films set in the
past are making a comeback for we have two
amazing films Raana and Ponniyin Selvan in
the making!
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