Celluloid - Malayalam Movie review

Celluloid - Malayalam Movie review

People of the underside of the reality are often neglected by the society. Their lives and contribution may not be colorful enough to capture the attention of mass media. There are many people in our history who have contributed to our growth and development. We are what we are today is just because of the handful of great men who lived here before us.  J C Daniel is one among those forgotten ones.

The film titled Celluloid is really a tribute to the movie artist,  J C Daniel who was an artist to the core. The movie tells us that Daniel loved motion pictures till the end of his life. This film is based mainly on the ups and down happened in the life of Daniel. Prithviraj gave life to the character, J C Daniel.  Kamal, the director of the film said in a TV interview that Prithviraj was the only choice before him as he thought about J C Daniel. Of course, Prithviraj has done justice to the character, J C Daniel. This movie tells about the pathetic ending if the artist Daniel at the end of life long difficult situation .The circumstance was not favorable for him to establish himself as a movie artist in Malayalam. The stinking caste system existed in Kerala was the stumbling block before him. He fell down hitting against the sharp thorns if the existed social, political and cultural structure. The great artist had to apply for a pension to make a living towards the end of his life. But that request was a denied due to the lack of evidence and the identity of Daniel is under suspicion. Thus the great artist became an unwanted stuff in his on motherland.

His wife Janet was a constant source of support and encouragement for him. As his dream project, Vigathakumaran collapses due to caste system; he had to sell everything and to go to an interior village for a new life. But life was still cruel to him. He was cheated by some Tamil film artist in the second attempt of Daniel in movie industry. This incident brings the maximum destruction to his life. Thus he becomes indifferent to life and cinema. He did not intervene when his six years old boy played with the only film print and burning it into ashes.

Sreenivasan played a significant role to make the story of Daniel known in Kerala. He challenged the social and political perspective in order to establish Vigathakumaran as the first Malayalam movie. The development of the movie is very interesting. All the supporting characters also contributed for the smooth and steady development of the story.

We cannot forget the character (Rosamma) Rosy who had to leave her land as a result of the attack from the higher caste. Her life became so tragic that she was forbidden to enter the theater and to watch her own film.  Rosy was a Pulaya convert Christian girl. Even though she is Christian now the caste identity is still fresh in her consciousness and also in the consciousness of the society.

As a whole this movie challenges the systemic evils in our society that never allows the oppressed people to become free from the clutches of oppression and exploitation.

Joseph Shibin SJ

DNC