Swayamvaram

Swayamvaram (One's Own Choice)
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Adoor Gopalakrishnan
Produced by	Chitralekha Film Co-operative
Written by	Adoor Gopalakrishnan K. P. Kumaran
Starring	Madhu Sharada Thikkurisi Sukumaran Nair Adoor Bhavani K. P. A. C. Lalitha Bharath Gopi
Music by	M. B. Sreenivasan
Cinematography	Mankada Ravi Varma
Editing by	Ramesan
Studio	Chitralekha Film Co-operative
Distributed by	Chitralekha Film Co-operative
Release date(s)	November 24, 1972 (1972-11-24)
Running time	131 minutes
Country	India
Language	Malayalam

Swayamvaram (English: One's Own Choice, Malayalam: സ്വയംവരം) is a 1972 Malayalam feature film co-written and directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan starring Madhu and Sharada in the lead roles. Notable smaller roles are filled by Thikkurisi Sukumaran Nair, Adoor Bhavani, Bharath Gopi, and K. P. A. C. Lalitha. The film was produced by the Chitralekha Film Co-operative with credit from the Film Finance Corporation (FFC). It was Chitralekha's first feature film production. It features an original score by M. B. Sreenivasan, cinematography by Mankada Ravi Varma, editing by Ramesan, art direction by Devadathan, and sound mixing by P. Devadas.

Swayamvaram was Adoor Gopalakrishnan's debut feature film.^[1] It also was the film debut of the now-prominent Malayalam actor Bharath Gopi. The film depicts the life of a couple—-Vishwam (Madhu) and Sita (Sharada)—-whose idealism is at loggerheads with the realities of the workaday world around them. The title is an allusion to the ancient Indian practice of a girl of marriageable age choosing a husband from among a list of suitors. It portrays the middle class angst of the post-Nehruvian society and the transition of Kerala's middle class into a modernist society. Although the economic and social crises of the middle class are pervasive in the film, the emphasis is on the existential problems at an ontological plane.

Writer-director K. P. Kumaran co-scripted the film with Adoor. It took Adoor seven years to get the project rolling when his initial proposal for a loan was turned down by the Film Finance Corporation. Adoor initially wanted fresh faces for the lead roles, but later chose stalwarts Sharada and Madhu. In addition to five and a half years of pre-production, another one and a half years was required to finish the film, as Adoor ran out of money.

Swayamvaram received wide critical acclaim. Critics consider it as a classic neorealistic film.^[2] It pioneered the new wave cinema movement in India and introduced the viewer to a hitherto-unknown technique of using film as more than just a story-telling device. It was the first Indian film to use sound as a leitmotif. The film was shown at a number of film festivals around the world. It won four National Film Awards including for Best Film, Best Director and Best Actress (Sharada).

Plot

The film begins with a bus journey. Vishwam {Madhu} and Sita {Saradha} , it is the most important journey in their life: they have cut themselves off from their family, and intend run away to a new place to fend for themselves.

They settle in a big city. The early days are happy, but soon they run short of money. Vishwam, an aspiring writer looking for employment, can't publish his novel (titled Nirvriti, meaning 'ecstasy'). The chatter at the publisher's office makes it evident that only the established and famous matter in the world. It is an elite club; the doors are closed to upcoming writers like Vishwam. Sita's ornaments are sold; they change residence from a good hotel to an ordinary one, and then to a dilapidated house in a none-too-respectable locality.

Vishwam takes a job as a college teacher. The school is a sinking ship and its proprietor a failed and bitter businessman. Vishwam next becomes a clerk in a timber shop, taking the place of a dismissed employee. Vishwam and Sita try to set up a happy home. Around there are good neighbours and bad ones; helpers and exploiters. Soon their dream fade as they struggle on precariously. There are many hardships, but big compensations of love. Vishwam suddenly dies, and Sita and her baby are left behind to face the myriad problems of life. The film ends with unanswered questions.

Cast

Madhu as Vishwam Sharada as Sita Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair Adoor Bhavani K. P. A. C. Lalitha Vaikom Chandrasekharan Nair as an editor G. Shankara Pillai Artist Valiyathan Father Ayyaneth Kumar Professor Chandrasekharan Nair Advocate Sadasivan Kallada Vasudevan Vakkom Vijayan P. K. Venukuttan Nair Karamana Janardanan Nair

Rajasekharan B. K. Nair Bharath Gopi as the dismissed employee P. C. Soman Poojappura Somasekharan Nair Ramchand Bhaskaran Madhavan Vaidyan Kuruppu Sobha Prasannan Divakaran Nair Thampi Devan P. M. Nath

Production

Title

Further information: Swayamvara

The title of the film in English is One's Own Choice. The film was shown at the Moscow International Film Festival under the title On Own Will.^[3] Other translations of the title have been used, such as By Choice,^[4] Her Own Choice,^[5] Marriage by Choice,^[6] Betrothal by Choice,^[7] The Betrothal,^[8] and The Selection.^[9] The title refers to the ancient Indian practice of a girl of marriageable age choosing a husband from among a list of suitors.^[10]

Development

Adoor was planning to study drama, but instead entered the Pune Film Institute in 1962, believing that writing for films couldn't be too different from writing for the stage. The New Wave movement was revolutionizing cinema around the globe and inspiring new directors, from Martin Scorsese in the U.S. to Nagisa Oshima in Japan. Adoor realized that movies could transcend mass entertainment to become art. After leaving the institute in 1965, Adoor returned home and formed the state's pioneering film society, the Chitralekha Film Cooperative, with his classmates. He spent the rest of the 1960s studying avant-garde world cinema and learning the mechanics of filmmaking, from sound recording to accounting.^[11]

Adoor had to wait for almost seven years after graduation to start producing his first feature film after his proposal for a loan was turned down by the Film Finance Corporation.^[12] He had submitted a script,Kamuki, to the Film Finance Corporation, but they were not willing to finance it. Later, under changed circumstances, he submitted the script of Swayamvaram and it was accepted. The loan allowed was for one and a half lakh rupees.^[13] The film was produced by Chitralekha Film Co-operative, Kerala's first Film Co-operative Society for film production. Adoor took an active part in the constitution of the production company.^[14] Swayamvaram was Chitralekha's first feature film production.^[15]

Casting

Adoor wanted fresh faces for both the lead roles. He wrote to the heads of colleges and universities, but there was no response. Later he decided upon Sharada, one of the most successful actress of her time, to do the female lead. She was acting in commercial films when Adoor asked her to act in Swayamvaram, and was initially afraid to commit herself to an art film. But when Adoor narrated her the complete story at Prasad Studios in Chennai, she readily agreed.^[16] Then Adoor felt he couldn't cast a novice opposite her, so he invited Madhu. Madhu was an old friend of Adoor, and he had expressed a wish to act in one of Adoor's films. By the time Adoor was back from the Institute, Madhu was already a star. Madhu says: "When Gopalakrishnan narrated the story of Swayamvaram, I knew it was going to be different." So, he had no hesitation in agreeing.^[13] Madhu said in an interview, "I sometimes wish Prem Nazir had acted in Adoor's Swayamvaram. He might have won a Bharath award. But he was very busy those days."^[17]

Adoor included mainstream actors such as Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair to match the cast of central characters. When asked about the problems a novice like Adoor faced in directing the 'stars', he said, "Many people had asked me at that time, 'will a senior actor like Thikurissi obey you?' But actually I faced no such problem. First of all as professionals they know what is required of them. And then they cannot refuse to do what I instruct them to do. They are acting to me and not to an audience. Moreover, from my experience in theatre I already knew how to deal with actors. I would tell them what to do. If they are not able to follow, I will show them how to do it. Once they are convinced that you know what you are saying, they will follow your instructions."^[13]

Prominent Malayalam actor Bharath Gopi made his debut in Swayamvaram, doing a minor role as the dismissed factory worker.^[18] Gopi was a noted stage actor before Adoor cast him in Swayamvaram. From theatre, his interest turned to cinema through the Chitraleka Film Society, co-founded by Adoor Gopalakrishnan. Gopi would later play the lead role in Adoor's Kodiyettam, which made his reputation as one of the finest actors in Indian cinema.^[19] K. P. A. C. Lalitha, who would later play notable characters in many Adoor films, played a small role in Swayamvaram.^[20] Celebrated Malayalam litterateur Vaikom Chandrasekharan Nair played the role of an editor in the film. According to Adoor, "to act as one self" on screen is the most difficult task, "but Vaikom played the role with ease".^[21]

Filming

Writer-director K. P. Kumaran co-scripted the film with Adoor.^[22] It took more than one and a half years to finish the whole film, as Adoor ran out of money.^[23] Adoor was reticent about the film's commercial aspects. Madhu says: "Though he had to face a lot of financial difficulties, Gopalakrishnan never talked about budget. In fact, budget was the last thing in his mind. He was the first filmmaker in Kerala who made a film without thinking about its commercial aspects at all. He made Swayamvaram from his heart without thinking about anything else. He was not bothered about releasing the film, he was not bothered about how the audience would react and he was not even bothered about box office reaction. Such trivialities did not occupy his mind."^[24] The film was shot in two schedules, though Adoor wanted it done in a single schedule. The delay was due to scheduling conflicts of the actress Sharada. She was working in several films at that time, so Adoor had to arrange the schedule to suit her convenience.^[13] Before shooting commenced, Adoor had long discussions with his crew about how he would shoot the film and how the characters should behave. Because Adoor had a clear vision about his characters, he did not stop until he got what he had in mind; he was ready to go for any number of retakes. Every shot and every action of Swayamvaram was culled from real life.^[24]

Swayamvaram marked the beginning of a collaboration between Adoor Gopalakrishnan and cinematographer Mankada Ravi Varma.^[25] When Adoor saw Olavum Theeravum, Varma's second film as a cinematographer, he decided that when he made a film, it was Varma who would shoot it. When he was ready to make Swayamvaram, he asked Varma whether he would do the cinematography. Varma actually had no intention to shoot another feature film after Olavum Theeravum, but he couldn't say no to Adoor. Varma says it was the "extensive" and "very well written" script that forced him not to reject the film.^[26][23] Ramesan edited the film. Sound mixing was done by Devadas.

Reception

Critical

Previews of the film were held at various places, where it received an extraordinary reception from critics and audiences. Noted writer and thinker M. Govindan wrote a cover story in his magazine Sameeksha^[27] and organized a seminar on the film in Madras. A number of intellectuals and writers took part in it; Adoor had invited all the film people in Madras. After the screening, noted film experts like P. Bhaskaran and Balu Mahendra were highly excited and deeply touched by the film. Mahendra came and hugged Adoor and said, "You saved us". When it was screened in Trivandrum, many people came and said that they had the same feeling as watching an 'English movie'. Adoor believes that it "may be because of the theme and treatment, or because of the careful use of sound and economy of story telling."^[13]

The film received little critical response in Kerala. Adoor says, "I think it was more of a question of insensitivity rather than personal enmity. Or, may be, powers-that-be in certain quarters felt threatened." However, some noted critics like Murkoth Kunjappa and T. M. P. Nedungadi praised the movie. There was a good write up by Nedungadi, who asked, "Swayamvaram over, what next in Malayalam cinema?"^[13]

Swayamvaram was the first Malayalam film to be screened at many major international film festivals. It was in the competition section of the Moscow International Film Festival.^[3] It was greatly liked by all but did not win the prize.^[13]

Noted critic and film director Vijayakrishnan felt that Devadas's sound mixing work was one of the major attractions of the film. Considerable use of natural sound, apart from background music, was new for Malayalam cinema.^[28]

Being the debut film of the director, one may find traces of some influences of other directors are evident in Swayamvaram. Some critics have pointed out its resemblance to Ritwik Ghatak's Subarnarekha. In that film also there is love and an elopement to the city. But Swayamvaram is more about the trip. And its treatment is entirely different. Swayamvaram was also influenced by the neorealism in Satyajit Ray films.^[13]

Cast performances were also praised by critics. Noted director Mrinal Sen, who was one of the jury members at the National Awards committee, appreciated Sharada saying "You were so natural while lifting and carrying that pot full of water", citing a scene from the film in which Sharada's character was pregnant and was to lift a pot full of water and carry it to the house. He also complimented her for the scene in a bus. There were no conversations in the scene; Vishwam and Sita just had to look at each other. Sharada says that Adoor had to explain too much to get that right expressions.^[16] Bharath Gopi was there only for a couple of minutes but the impact of his frustrated face was so strong that he was immediately noticed.^[19] The film was also a turning point in Madhu's career even though he had acted in several memorable Malayalam films, including the landmark film, Ramu Kariat's Chemmeen, before Swayamvaram happened.^[24]

Although most of the reviews were positive, some film experts were critical about the film. Amaresh Datta, in his book The Encyclopaedia Of Indian Literature, said: "Adoor Gopalakrishnan's Swayamvaram was released during the early seventies. It was then that Malayalam film goers had the feeling of being witness to true cinema. Swayamvaram heralded the second phase in the development of Malayalam cinema, a more illuminating phase than the first one. But it would be preposterous to describe it as the last word or as a classic. It was the same old love story without any freshness added. The development of the story lacked credibility. Blindly following the neo-realistic style, the film was ripe with sentimentalism which fatally affected its novelty and excellence."^[29] Poet and journalist C. P. Surendran called film "disturbing" in one of his article criticising Adoor Gopalakrishnan and his films.^[30] Shyam Benegal, film director and a well-known admirer of Adoor films, says that he was not particularly pleased with Swayamvaram.^[31]

Theatrical

Very few of the FFC-funded films were released in theatres, and if at all they were released, not many were successful at the box office. The film had a lukewarm initial theatrical response. Adoor was told that "If only he had some songs in it, it would have done well". After the announcement of national film awards, the film was re-released in theatres. Now the things changed and the film ran well. Probably for the first time in the history of FFC, the whole amount of loan was repaid.^[13]

Legacy

Swayamvaram pioneered the new wave cinema movement in Malayalam and Indian cinema.^[11][32] It introduced the viewer to a hitherto-unknown technique of using film as more than just a mere story-telling device.^[33] It was a departure from films laden with the usual ingredients of melodrama, slapstick comedy, music, and dance.^[34] It marked a transition in the Malayalam film aesthetic, as it was the first to break with social realism in an attempt to come to terms with the disillusionment in ideologies. Swayamvaram laid its emphasis on the cinema rather than the story. So far as Malayalam cinema was concerned, it was an inevitable development. The impulses aroused by Swayamvaram were more important than the film itself. It helped film-goers to acquire a new awareness about the art of the cinema.^[29]

Swayamvaram paved the way to divide Malayalam films into three categories, the so-called uncompromising Art films, the 'compromise films' aiming at commercial success while maintaining a good deal of artistic qualities, and the commercial films aimed at box office success.^[35]

Through Swayamvaram, Adoor Gopalakrishnan became the first Indian director to use sound as a leitmotif (a recurring musical theme). The film was a new experience for Indian cinema-goers; it used ample natural sounds and a minimalistic background score.^[28][36] Adoor says: "Sound is as important as the visual in films. I am very particular about the sound factor. In fact, I always have a separate script ready just for sound. Mostly, I will be a part of the process. I have uniquely used many sounds to convey a message or any idea. Only a close scrutiny will make you hear the sound. Like some scenes in Mukhamukham".^[37]

Accolades

At the annual National Film Awards, Swayamvaram won awards for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Cinematographer. However, the Kerala State Film Award committee rejected the film and chose some industry favourites. The committee members, according to film historians, didn't want to encourage a film-school-trained director and a film produced by a cooperative. The national panel overruled the regional committee, and Swayamvaram was given four major national awards.^[38]

1973 Moscow International Film Festival (Russia)^[3]

• Nominated – Golden Prize – Adoor Gopalakrishnan

1973 National Film Awards (India)

• Won – Golden Lotus Award – National Film Award for Best Film
• Won – Golden Lotus Award – National Film Award for Best Director – Adoor Gopalakrishnan
• Won – Silver Lotus Award – National Film Award for Best Actress – Sharada
• Won – Silver Lotus Award – National Film Award for Best Cinematography – Mankada Ravi Varma

1973 Kerala State Film Awards (India)^[39]

• Won – Kerala State Film Award for Best Photography (Black-and-white) – Mankada Ravi Varma
• Won – Kerala State Film Award for Best Art Direction – Devadathan

References

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4. ^ Cinema in India: Volume 2. National Film Development Corporation of India. 2002. p. 38. 
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External links

• Swayamvaram at the Internet Movie Database