Malayalam cinema comes of age

NDTV: "Seven directors from Kerala feature in the Indian Panorama section at IFFI, which is one-third of the total 21 films selected.

The Indian Panorama showcases the linguistic and stylistic variety of Indian films. It is also a good indicator of the places where artistic and meaningful films were made last year.

There are five films from the Bengal film industry, three from Hindi, two from Kannada and one each from Marathi, Assamese, Telugu and Tamil.

The jury was quite impressed and said the Malayalam films were well acted, simple without gimmicks and reflected contemporary issues.

The irony is that in Kerala, these films are being swallowed up by huge Tamil blockbusters and the mesmerising effect of their stars and technical skills. Films like Kanne Madanguke, by first time director Albert, portray the exploitation of minor girls from financially weak families.

"I must thank my producer. When I told him the story, he got tense. He said, 'I have two daughters. When do you want to start'," said Albert.

Pradeep Nair's award winning Oridam tells the story of a woman who has to live as a sex worker. Away from the clutches of clichés, it was a long journey for the director to get a producer.

"At last, my producer Jesin Lal Jamesa came and he agreed to produce my film. Without his support, I could not have fulfilled my dream. He is not an established producer, but an engineer working in Riyadh," said Nair.

To be featured in the Indian Panorama is like a tonic for these filmmakers who are trying to change the trend."