Kanchivaram

After making hard-hitting realistic Malayalam/ multilingual movies like Kaala Pani, Priyadarshan jumped on the hilarious remake bandwagon, making a number of popular commercial masala comedies. Now the same Priyadarshan has made a film straight from his heart - Kanchivaram, the story of a poor weaver who strives to fulfil a promise made to his daughter. The age-old saying that one who weaves a piece of cloth never enjoys ownership and authority over the same is demonstrated by the plight of Vengadam the protagonist in the film. The film is also set in the British era of the 1940s in the famous silk-weaving village of Kanchipuram in Madras Province. 

In Hindu rituals, silk is surprisingly a symbol of sanctity and must be used during marriage and death ceremonies. (Surprisingly, because silk is made be boiling live silk pupae to extract the silk yarn.) Priyadarshan has spun a gripping human story with utmost perfection, precision and poignancy - using the lives of the silk-weavers as his weft and warp. 

Vengadam (Prakashraj) is a traditional master weaver, who, for a pittance, weaves the most intricate and delicate silk saris for the merchants who hire him. Ever as a child, he dreamt of draping his bride in silk sari but could not make his dream come true. When Vengadam's wife Annam (Shreya Reddy) gives birth to a daughter, he pledges before the village that his daughter will wear a silk sari on her wedding day. But how will the poor weaver, mired in poverty and near-starvation, fulfill this pledge? He starts stealing single strands of silk yarn every day from his workplace, brings them home and starts weaving his dream sari in his own backyard. His wife dies, his daughter Thamarai (Shammu) grows up into a beautiful girl, and the sari becomes longer and longer. Vengadam also takes part in hunger strikes, makes friends with a communist writer, gets influenced by his talks, and participates in demonstrations against the merchants who hold the weavers in thrall. 

An emotional story is told with the historical and political changes as its backdrop and its authentic mood is maintained throughout the film. It is indeed a proud badge of distinction and honour for director Priyadarshan. With Akashvani's mourning for Gandhiji's death broadcast in the background, the film begins as a flashback. The whole village surrounds and looks in awe at the first motor car that enters the destination. From there begins Vengadam's story. Then the film shuttles back and forth in time, much like the shuttle in a hand loom.