06-22-2010, 02:03 PM
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Lohitadas Interview by Tamil writer JeyamohanShare
Translation of an Interview with Lohitadas by Tamil writer Jeyamohan ... A lohitadas film festival is running in Asianet Plus. Original Tamil interview is at jeyamohan.in ஏ.கே.லோகிததாஸ்:நீண ட உரையாடல்-1 Jeyamohan (JM): Why did you choose cinema as your medium? What kindled your interest? A.K.Lohithadas (AKL): Cinema became my medium much later. My first medium was literature. My first introduction to the written word was at a young age. To be honest, I think writing came to me well before reading. Every child looks to express itself, to justify its existence. It finds an outlet based on its own character, talents and surroundings. Music, sports, studies etc Writing was something that reached me in this manner. From a very young age, I found indescribable strength in giving my worries and tears words. I felt untouchable as if I was beating my worries JM: Your youth was quite sorrow-filled. AKL: Yes. My father abandoned us when I was young. I grew up a hungry orphan. Lived in many of m relatives homes. The written word was my greatest companion. I am a littrateur at heart. Cinema is the medium for my literature. At the same time, words were insufficient. I needed acting as well. I would always act out what I wrote in my mind. I started writing in a manner that engendered acting and these became suitable for theatre. By 22 I was a recognized theatre writer, my first play The Sindhu flows peacefully. In 1985 my first movie ThaniyAvarthanam was released, directed by Sibi Malayil. That was a play I had originally conceived. I believe theatre is a basic art form. Acting is older than literature, maybe even language JM: Yes. In The Gods must be crazy the Bushmen act out their hunting experiences. Their language is still a very basic sound AKL: Everyone is an actor. Every second that we speak with our mouth, we speak with our body as well. As we grow older we grow extremely conscious of our bodies. That self-consciousness becomes a barrier to ac. It is harder to make an intelligent person act than it is a slightly developmentally challenged person. Youngsters are usually very willing actors. Teenagers are especially melodramatic JM: What is the relationship between theatre and literature? AKL: Literature that can be acted out is theatre. At some point in history they should have been one and the same. JM: In Meera Kathiravans thamizh translation of P.Padmarajans screenplay of Peruvazhiyambalam, Balu Mahendra insists that screenplay is not literature, it cannot be read. It is just a note for a director (Translators Note: He said as much at the workshop on the last day) AKL: That is a perspective. I do not want to argue. My perspective is a reflection of my reading and influences. A screenplay is definitely literature. If screenplay is not literature neither is playwriting. Shakespeare did not write to be read, he wrote to be acted. Keerthanais were written to be sung, yet they are literature too JM: Ingmar Bergman is a favorite director of mine. His Seventh Seal is unrelated to language. It is a scenic description, but reading it felt like reading literature. In our the reality of our imaginations is a greater cinema than he intended AKL: Theatre is considered literature only because the reader is able to visualize and act within oneself. People enter and exit our viewfinders. Screenplay is the same JM: But a screenplay will always be restricted by the requirements of film. Is that not a handicap? AKL: Does theatre not have space constraints? Does it not need to fit in a cube? But the great playwrights turned this into the strength of the medium (Translators note: I remember reading how Sujatha created a play rehearsal as a play because his actors did not have time to learn the lines. This way they could carry their dialogs on stage). They make all of lifes inequities and conflicts meet at a central point. There is a phrase called Nadakaantham kaviththuvam. A screenplay is similar to that. It has to SHOW everything. It cannot meditate or think. It has to SHOW. That is its strength. Screenwriters have SHOWED lifes greatest tragedies, questions and happiness. That is how a screenplay becomes literature. Because when we read it everything comes to life in our imagination. JM: Since the beginning in Malayalam writers have written screenplays.. Uruf wrote for Neelakkuyil, Thakazhi Sivasankarap Pillai, Vaikkom Muhammad Basheer, S.K.Petracott, Paarappuraththu Maththai, S.Suseendran so on and so forth. Malayalam cinema was shaped by great writers AKL: Pay attention though... these writers did not bring towards language (Translators note:I believe this might be a point against what happened in Thamizh where the sing-song nature gave way to verbosity, which was novel for its time, but does not seem relevant now). They built it as a visual art. Thoppil Bhasi, S.L.Puram Sadanandan, M.T.Vasudevan Nair (writer of the upcoming historical Pazhassi Raja), P.Padmarajan the list goes on. They all wrote visual screenplays. Vice-versa todays literature has been significantly affected by cinema. JM: What is the beginning of a story? AKL: The same way a short story or novel or painting begins. It is never planned. It is a lightning urge. That is all I can say as that is my experience. It is like full cloud waiting to burst in rain. It looks like it will happen now. But it might never deliver. One can never say when, where and why. It starts instantaneously. First as drops then as a downpour. JM: I have heard that a character is the start of a screenplay. AKL: Yes that is certainly important. A drama or a screenplay is a portion of life. Whose life? The question springs immediately. Hence a character is an important starting point. But a conflict or a basic question can serve as the start. My Padheyam and EzhuthAppurangaL were begun with the central conflict. ThaniyAvarthanam and Kireedam (Translators Note: My personal favorites in his work) were begun with a central character. JM: Has a philosophy or idea been a starting point? AKL: Rarely. Of my screenplays only Jathagam (Translators note: another lovely small movie) was started this way. It is an observation of the belief in astrology. A screenplays seed is planted in the recesses of our mind well before it begins to be written. The unrest or lack of peace in you is the beginning. For example my first directorial venture BhoothakkaNNAdi, came from a story of sexual exploitation of underage girls. It created great unrest within me, particularly a photograph of the schoolbag of one such girl. I could only view that through the eyes of a father! VidhyAdharan was born from that unrest. He is very nervous about everyday life in the current social scenario. But he doesnt say or do anything because he is a middle-class coward. And so his mind slips. I viewed my problem through his eyes. JM: When I write a novel I write with a head full of steam. Then I discuss it with my editors. But here screenplays are discussed at the concept stage. AKL: My screenplays are written like your novels. I never discuss the idea. Only after writing it completely do I discuss it with the director or actor. Discussing the central conceit will make the story seem contrived. JM: Have you ever discussed? AKL: Once. A story called VisAraNai got stuck and did not gain momentum. That is the problem with a story discussion. Each person has a perspective and the central idea gets pulled in different directions. It is like fighting blindfolded. I can only make my point if I let it unfold completely as a screenplay. I can only debate certain technical aspects of screenplay writing with others. JM: But in thamizh the norm is still to discuss. AKL: Here cinema is a form of entertainment that tries to bring together multiple other forms of entertainment. That can always be discussed and brought into existence. A certain format or template has even been reached for this. But the soul of a story cannot be arrived at through discussion. There will be no unity in a discussed story.
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06-22-2010, 03:13 PM
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Thaniyavarthanam/Kireedom/Dasaratham/Amaram/Venkalam were equally good.
Aadhyamaayi ezhuthiya thirakkatha enna nilakku Thaniyavarthanam ithiri munnil ennu venamenkil parayaam Pakshe adheham direct cheytha malayalathile thanne ettavum nalla chithrangalilonnaaya Bhoothakkannadi ivide oraalozhike aarum paramarshichu polum illennathu valare niraashajanakamaayi poyi. Ottavaakkil paranjaal bhoothakkannadi oru "Stunner" aanu. mikacha debut directorinulla national award nediyittundennu thonnunnu
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എന്റെ തോന്ന്യാസങ്ങള്* ------------------- എഴുത്തു ബ്ലോഗ്: കൈയൊപ്പ്  ഫോട്ടോ ബ്ലോഗ്: നീലവെളിച്ചം 
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06-22-2010, 03:55 PM
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#153 (permalink) |
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LOHI....
 ... One of the greatest script writer ever ,not only in malayalam cinma but in whole Indian cinema or even world cinema.... His greatest works for me are Kireedom and Dasaratham, followed by Thaniyavartanam and His Highness .... His glorious peak was during late 80s-early 90s period, and espcially in association with Sibi Malayil.... |
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06-22-2010, 04:05 PM
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Quote:
angane oru kada athinum munpum pinpum arum paranjittillenkilum..
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"Pinne ennodunnum"...dasettan again
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06-22-2010, 04:17 PM
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IMO, as a director lohi was quite average although his first few films were excellent efforts, esp BK, Karunyam nd Kanmadam..and even later also a number of his films were overall good in standard..
Quote:
vidhyadaran (peru ithu tane ennu orappilla) enna sadaranakarante manasika vyaparangalude kadha parayuna padam...jail-il 5 or 7 somthing yrs kidakunna pulliyude vibrantikal undakunnathu last 3,4 aazchayil... athu teerthum oru imaginated story seen by the person...not very convincingly presented... but all said it is a fine movie certanly...nalla touching aayi eduthitund.. 
Last edited by d prince; 06-22-2010 at 04:23 PM. |
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06-22-2010, 04:21 PM
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എന്റെ തോന്ന്യാസങ്ങള്* ------------------- എഴുത്തു ബ്ലോഗ്: കൈയൊപ്പ് ഫോട്ടോ ബ്ലോഗ്: നീലവെളിച്ചം
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06-22-2010, 04:25 PM
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06-22-2010, 04:28 PM
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എന്റെ തോന്ന്യാസങ്ങള്* ------------------- എഴുത്തു ബ്ലോഗ്: കൈയൊപ്പ് ഫോട്ടോ ബ്ലോഗ്: നീലവെളിച്ചം
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06-22-2010, 04:35 PM
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But Karunyam had a very strong script, i thnk...so dirctn atra nanayillenkilum the new areas of father-son realatnship explored and exllnt acting by leads(particulrly Murali) all made it a very good movie imo.. Kanmadam aadyam kandappol enikku atra ishtapettirunilla... but on later viewings i find it more nd more consuming... very novel idea and as a dirctor too he was gud dere with many shots that powers on the movie... another fine one for me... |
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06-22-2010, 04:38 PM
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എന്റെ തോന്ന്യാസങ്ങള്* ------------------- എഴുത്തു ബ്ലോഗ്: കൈയൊപ്പ് ഫോട്ടോ ബ്ലോഗ്: നീലവെളിച്ചം
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