Top South Indian Films That Made An Impact At Cannes
The journey of Indian films at Cannes started with Chethan Anand’s post-World War film Neecha Nagar, which won Grand Prix du Festival International du Fim (now known as Palme d’Or).
Top South Indian Films That Made an Impact at Cannes ( Photo Credit – IMDb )
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Indian cinema is making a notable impact at Cannes this year. As many as Seven films were screened at Cannes in various categories, including Payal Akpadia’s All We Imagine is Light. It is the first Indian film to win the Grand Prix in 30 years after Shaji N Karun’s Swaham.
The journey of Indian films at Cannes started with Chethan Anand’s post-World War film Neecha Nagar, which won Grand Prix du Festival International du Fim (now known as Palme d’Or). Over the years, many films have won acclodes, including Satyajith Ray’s Pather Panchali, Meera Nair’s Salaam Bombay, Bimal Roy’s Do Bheega Zameen, and Raj Kapoor’s Boot Polish.
Here are a few South Indian films that were part of Cannes over the years
Swaham is written, produced and directed by Shaji N Karun. This is the first ever South Indian Film to compete for the Palme d’Or.
Swaham is the story of a financially struggling mother, Annapoorna. She wants to send her son to the army so that they can have a stable life. The story revolves around how she sends her son to army and how the son dies at the camp and the challenges she faces to bring back the body of her dead son home, while her daughter waits anxiously for their return.
Marana Simhasanam (Malayalam, 1999)
The Malayalam satirical drama Marana Simhasanam directed by Murali Nair, is a milestone in 20th Century Indian Cinema. It won the Caméra d’Or (Golden Camera) at the Cannes Film Festival in 1999.
The film is about Krishnan, who toils all day farming but struggles to feed his family. One day, he is caught stealing coconuts from his landlord and then gets framed for a number of murders and finally sentenced to death. With the introduction of America’s high-tech electric chair, everyone is awestruck by it including Krishnan. Ironically, he agrees to die by electrocution as he is promised a statue in his honor as part of the proceedings.
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Piravi (Malayalam, 1989)
Piravi, Directed by Shaji N Karun, received a special mention in the Camera d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1989. The movie tells the poignant story of a father, Raghava Chakyar, who waits for his son Raghu’s return to celebrate his daughter’s engagement. Chakyar waits for his son daily at the bus stand. From his local newspaper, Chakyar gets to know that police have arrested his son. So he travels to Trivandrum to bring his son back home. But unfortunately, the police refuse to admit that they have arrested his son. Raghu’s sister eventually realizes that her brother has likely died due to police torture, but she cannot bring herself to tell her father. As the days pass, Chakyar begins to lose his grip on reality, dreaming of a reunion with his family.
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Veyil (Tamil, 2006)
Veyil, produced by Shankar, is the first Tamil film to be screened at Cannes as part of the Tous Les Cinemas du Monde section.
Written and directed by Vasanth Balan, it is apparently based on his own experiences in his home town, Virudh nagar, and the protagonist is inspired by his younger brother.
Veyil is the story of two brothers, told from the perspective of the older brother. Elder brother runs away from home as a child and returns after 20 years. He recalls his childhood memories and tries to rebond with his younger brother. As the Younger brother showers love on him, this creates a mental turmoil, as he feels guilty for not being a responsible elder brother.
