A friend told me about a film that has a single shot that lasts 48 minutes ! Curiosity got the better of me and i watched #OzhivudivasatheKali on #YouTube. What he did not tell me was that this documentary style commentary on the social realities of Kerala would shock me. The horrific ending was an utter shock and caught me completely off guard.
Five friends assemble at a remote country house on election day. They engage a woman to cook for them. Several rounds of alcohol later, conversations about their deep-rooted prejudices expose the male psyche and the societal misogyny of our times and an innocuous looking game leads to a horrific ending that shakes you out of your reverie!
Writer-Director #SanalKumarSashidharan bases his film on the story by #UnniR. The title which means Off-Day game is a saga of caste, class, color and patriarchy. The shock of the conversation is juxtaposed against the calm of the flowing water in a nearby brook. Most of the shots are single camera hand-helds, no close-ups, natural lighting and unusual frames that give it a half-baked documentary feel. What is even more interesting is that the film has no written dialogues. The actors improvise on the spot !
#BaijuNetto plays Dasan, the dark skinned lower class friend. When it comes to climbing the jackfruit tree or slaughtering the hen, it is considered that he will do it. Vinayan (#PradeepKumarPM), Asokan (#ArunNayar) and Dharman (#NistharAhamed) are the other friends. There is also a Namboodiri brahmin .. the Thirumeni played by #GirishNair. #AbhijaSivakala plays Geetha, the cook.
Even when it comes to the lewd overtures towards Geetha, there seems to be a pecking order between the men. Their body language is almost animal-like, lecherous towards their prey. As they settle down, the liquor starts flowing - it is an addiction, the women are like a commodity and dark skin is to be mocked at. At one time, the conversation veers around to how every act of sexual intercourse is like a rape because the woman has to be subjugated.
And then the game at the end with its social messaging. When the policeman catches the king going against the law, a bribe is enough to settle the issue. So too when the minister is caught. But when the lower caste man is caught for theft, he needs to be punished to the maximum; there is no letting off.
DoP #indrajithS leverages the natural surroundings to maximum effect. The flowing water in the brook, the waving clump of bushes, the buzz of the foliage and the sound of the rain are beautifully captured by sound designer #TKrishnanunni, and accentuated by Composer #BasilJoseph. #AppuBhattathiri does the editing.
#OzhivudivasatheKali won the best Film at the Kerala state awards in 2015. The film also won the FIPRESCI award for best malayalam film at the International Film festival of Kerala the same year.
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