Kochi-based filmmaker Vipin Radhakrishnan’s Tamil film ‘Angammal’ tells the story of a complex relationship between an old woman named Angammal (Geetha Kailasam) and her son Pavalam (Saran Shakthi) in a Tamil Nadu village. Based on Perumal Murugan’s short story Kodithuni, the film explores the differences that emerge between the mother and her city-slicker son after the latter becomes a doctor and comes back to their village.
Angammal had its premiere at MAMI Mumbai Film Festival last month. It is Vipin’s sophomore directorial; earlier, he helmed Ave Maria, a drama that explores the relationship between a driver and a devout catholic woman in Velankanni. The filmmaker speaks to CE about his approach to directing Angammal, the themes of the film, casting Geetha Kailasam in the titular role, and more.
Excerpts:
You are a Malayali, but Angammal is a film rooted in rural Tamil sensibilities. How did you make it so authentically?
It is an adaptation of a Perumal Murugan short story, with dialogues that I co-wrote with Sudhakar. The short story stemmed from a real-life incident known to Perumal Murugan, about a mother who refused to wear a blouse despite her soon-to-be-married son’s insistence. After finalising the project, we travelled across Tamil Nadu to find a suitable location for the film. Then, we found one in Padmaneri, a village 40 kilometres away from Tirunelveli. We then stayed at a house there and spent three months with the villagers. In the meantime, we completed casting, and the actors interacted with the villagers. We modified the dialogues according to their style.
A film like Angammal often gets classified as “festival cinema”. What is your take on that?
At the time of its making, we knew that it might earn such a tag, given the nature of the story. However, we did not view it as a festival film. Right from the start, we treated it as a commercial film with elements such as humour and songs to reach as many viewers as possible. At the same time, we aimed to balance commercial appeal with artistic integrity, ensuring that the film’s politics, core themes, and Perumal Murugan’s vision remained intact.
