Kochi-based filmmaker Vipin Radhakrishnan’s Tamil film Angammal tells the story of a complex relationship between an old woman named Angammal (Geetha Kailasam) and her son Pavalam (Saran Shakthi) in a Tamil Nadu village. Based on Perumal Murugan’s short story Kodithuni, the film explores the differences that emerge between the mother and her city-slicker son after the latter becomes a doctor and comes back to their village. Angammal recently had its premiere at MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. It is Vipin’s sophomore directorial; earlier, he helmed Ave Maria, a drama that explores the relationship between a driver and a devout Catholic woman in Velankanni. The filmmaker speaks to CE about his approach to directing Angammal, the themes of the film, casting Geetha Kailasam in the titular role, and more.
Excerpts:
You are a Malayali, but Angammal is a film rooted in rural Tamil sensibilities. How did you make it so authentically?
It is an adaptation of a Perumal Murugan short story, with dialogues that I co-wrote with Sudhakar. The short story stemmed from a real-life incident known to Perumal Murugan, about a mother who refused to wear a blouse despite his soon-to-be-married son’s insistence. After finalising the project, we travelled across Tamil Nadu to find a suitable location for the film. Then, we found one in Padmaneri, a village 40 kilometres away from Tirunelveli. We then stayed at a house there and spent three months with the villagers. In the meantime, we completed casting, and the actors interacted with the villagers. We modified the dialogues according to their style.
A film like Angammal often gets classified as “festival cinema”. What is your take on that?
At the time of its making, we knew that it might earn such a tag given the nature of the story. However, we did not view it as a festival film. We never prioritised it as one, either. Right from the start, we treated it as a commercial film with elements of humour and songs to reach as many viewers as possible. At the same time, we aimed to balance commercial appeal with artistic integrity, ensuring that the film's politics, core themes, and Perumal Murugan's vision remained intact.
Speaking of politics, it is easy to judge the son's character. Was that your intention?
Maybe it has to do with the writing. Even I judged him while watching the film. However, if you put yourself in his shoes, you can find logic in his views and cannot fault him much. The story is set in the 1990s, and the characters reflect the societal norms of the time. He may be slightly rude to his girlfriend, but when he tells her that he wants his mother to be prim and proper, it comes from a genuine place. He regards it as a case of ego, considering the class divide (between his family and his lover’s family).
There are shades of Ayyappanum Koshiyum in it…
While the treatment differs, there are certain thematic similarities, particularly in the dynamic between the two stubborn characters.
How did you decide on Geetha Kailasam for the titular role?
You need a powerful actor to pull off the character of Angammal. The likes of Smita Patil and Shabana Azmi would first occur to you in the past, but we could not think of one such actor during the casting phase. Fortunately, we felt that a relatively newer actor would deliver a different output, and we happened to see Geetha’s performance in Natchathiram Nagargirathu. She had a small part in Natchathiram Nagargirathu, but her screen presence and body language impressed us. A subsequent meeting confirmed our belief that she is a sensible person and an intelligent actor.
Did you use a set for the outdoor sequences, like the bike riding scene at the start?
There are minor modifications in the indoor scenes, although the houses in the village are all real. For the outdoor scenes, however, we used some VFX. Postproduction is still in progress, and there could be changes in the final version.
When do you plan to release it?
We are eyeing a theatrical release. Talks are underway with a big production house in Chennai, but there has not been any confirmation yet. But there will be a theatrical release next year, for sure.
What is next?
We spent two years making Angammal. The first objective is to release it theatrically. Only then I can think of future projects.