From novels to the big screen: Why Tamil film makers are drawn to literary texts
The Hindu
From Kalki Krishnamurthy’s Ponniyin Selvan to Perumal Murugan’s Varugari, literary works have long been adapted into films, a trend now facilitated by OTT platforms and film makers with fresh ideas
“Why do we live so far away from everyone in the village, thatha? Walk faster, I don’t want to be late for school.”
The conversation unfolds between a grandfather, who is a basket-weaver, and his grandson when the former walks him to school. This is the opening scene in Tamil film Seththumaan, and shows the two walking alone in the sun in an arid landscape.
“Let this end with me, this state in which we have to live separately from the village,” the grandfather says. “Study well; when you grow up, become an officer. You will be given a car, a bungalow, an army of helpers. Even if a pin falls from your desk, a helper would come running to pick it up for you.”
The conversation speaks volumes about a man who has been oppressed for generations. It sets the mood for the film — the writing has depth, and an understanding of the landscape and its people. This can be credited to writer Perumal Murugan: the film, directed by debutant Thamizh, is based on the writer’s short story Varugari.
“The story had the scope to be developed into a film,” says Perumal Murugan, who has also written the screenplay. The Namakkal-based writer says he enjoyed the process. “I like attempting various creative forms, and it was an experience working in the cinema medium,” he says.
The trend of literary works being adapted to the big screen is not new in Tamil cinema. But it is more pronounced now, thanks to a slew of directors picking up works of celebrated writers.
One such is Mani Ratnam, who is making Kalki Krishnamurthy’s Ponniyin Selvan in two parts, with a multi-star cast. Elango Kumaravel, who has written the film’s screenplay, first adapted the novel for the stage, and has done over 45 shows with a cast comprising 80 people. “On screen, everything is big,” he says. “As it features several leading actors, there is focus on giving each of them screen time,” he says. This involves taking some creative liberties. “For instance, a character might appear at a later stage in the novel, but we would have introduced it sooner in the film,” he adds.