Now an official selection at the 29th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), Vipin Radhakrishnan-directed Angammal is easily one of the most compelling regional independent movies you’ll watch this year. Premiered at the recently concluded MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, the plot of the rural Tamil drama is centred on a feisty and unapologetic matriarch, who refuses to wear a blouse just to fit into a progressive and cultured society. Angammal is the film adaptation of acclaimed Tamil writer Perumal Murugan’s short story, Kodithuni.
With Geetha Kailasam and Saran Sakthi in the lead, the cast also includes Bharani, Thendral Raghunathan, Mullaiyarasi Subashini, Sudhahar Das, Yasmine, Ashand Raju, Vinod Anand R and Yuvarani S. An NjoyFilms presentation, music for the film is composed by Mohammed Maqbool Mansoor.
Ahead of it competing at IFFK next month, under the ‘Indian Cinema Now’ category, Vipin – who also directed the critically acclaimed Malayalam film Ave Maria (2018) – spoke about the making of Angammal, casting Geetha for the lead character, the challenges that independent filmmakers face in India, how important it is for him to be recognised at global platforms, and more. Excerpts from an exclusive interview with The Movie Mail:
Q. Kodithuni is probably a lesser-known short story written by Perumal Murugan. What inspired you to adapt it to the big screen?
A. It all began during the Covid-19 lockdown. I was reading a collection of his short stories and stumbled upon Kodithuni. I think this was one of his earlier stories, written in the late 1990s, and it wasn’t that popular compared to his other books. I was quite intrigued by the plot. Forget all the politics and everything else layering it. As a story itself, I found it a really amazing story to read – a son trying to convince his mother to wear a blouse. Later, I came to know that the story was actually inspired by a real-life character. Apparently, this incident happened in a village, maybe during the writer’s younger days. One of his neighbours was getting married, but the mother refused to wear a blouse, resulting in the neighbour coaxing her to wear one. On the story level, it intrigued me quite a bit. It’s not trying to preach or say anything in the face. It’s simply a narration. But if you look deeper, a lot of things mentioned in the story are actually relevant universally even now. The core theme is still pertinent in today’s world. So, I thought the short would make an interesting film adaptation.
Q. Why did you feel the need to make changes to the narrative and characters for the film adaptation?
A. The changes were made mostly because the original piece was a short story, but the film adaptation needed a little more detailing in terms of the narrative technique and characterisation. While writing the short story, Perumal focussed more on the theme and the plotline. I added a few more layers to that, as well as worked a lot on the character arcs. In fact, the interpretation of the lead character – Angammal – was changed completely, which helped in bringing out more conflicts and cinematic moments in the movie. All these informed the narrative archetypes that we had in our minds. Since the beginning, our aim was to adapt this feature film in a way that it comes out in the theatres, where people can actually come to watch it. We didn’t want to make a so-called ‘festival movie’ or an ‘art film’ as such. Our aim was very clear. We want more and more people to watch Angammal in the theatres. So, some changes were necessary to be made in the film adaptation.
Q. Tell us about casting Geetha for the role of Angammal…
A. Everything about this film was developed organically. So initially, when we were working on the screenplay and later started prepping to shoot the film, it was a lot different from how things turned out finally. That said, the idea seed for the characterisation of Angammal was there from the beginning, just that we wanted to develop it further. To be honest, when it came to casting for the role, the vision I had in my mind was that of somebody like Smita Patil or Shabana Azmi. I was taking references from the iconic Shyam Benegal movies from the 70s and 80s.
We were looking for someone in the Tamil film industry who would give the vibe of a strong-willed, rustic woman, both in terms of physicality and acting. We had seen Navarasa [Netflix’s anthology television series created by Mani Ratnam] earlier and quite liked Geetha’s work [in the Arvind Swamy-directed episode, Roudhram: Raudra]. But later, somebody showed us [Pa Ranjith’s film] Natchathiram Nagargirathu, which had a longer sequence led by Geetha’s character. We found her performance in that particular scene really amazing. The way she held our attention with her screen presence and natural acting was really impressive. Then, of course, we also watched Sarpatta Parambarai [also helmed by Pa Ranjith], in which, too, her acting was commendable.
Then, we met Geetha and found her to be a very sensible and intelligent person, who quickly understood what we were trying to do in the film. Just like us, she showed a lot of excitement and passion toward the character. And that’s how we found our Angammal! After she came on board, we developed the screenplay even further, because by then we had an idea of her range in acting, and felt that her character can be tweaked and fleshed out more than what was there in the initial script.
Q. What’re your plans for the film now? Is it heading to the cinemas, are you eyeing an OTT release or more festival runs?
A. Yes, our initial plan was to release the film in the theatres. But before that, we also wanted to have a festival premiere, so that we get some response from the audience. Apart from gaining attention, it also helps in marketing the movie. Meanwhile, we are looking for some big production houses that can support its release across India (at least, in the major metropolitan cities), apart from Tamil Nadu. Parallelly, we are also hoping to release Angammal on OTT in the near future.
Q. How would you describe the independent movie scene in India today, particularly for regional filmmakers?
A. I think now is the best time to produce a film, not only in India but across the world. In comparison to 2012, when I started off my journey in the movie industry, this is a much better period for filmmakers. Thanks to the digital explosion, cameras and other equipment are cheaper and more easily available now. Whether you are making a short or a feature film, you can easily do it now. Ave Maria was made on a budget of ₹15 lakhs in 2017.
Making a movie is not a problem now, probably it’s even the best time for independent filmmakers. The real trouble is in finding distributors. Where and how to showcase the movie has been a huge challenge. Festivals are becoming increasingly competitive and the lack of a good distribution system means there is a lot of delay before our films hit the theatres. And last I heard, it’s not so simple releasing movies on OTT platforms either. Sometimes, films with an all-star cast are also either not accepted or they have to wait in the queue.
So, creatively, yes it’s an opportune time, but a lot needs to be figured out when it comes to the selling and distribution of the project. We are relatively new to this business, so our knowledge may be a bit inadequate. However, something definitely has to be worked out in terms of how to place a movie or bring it out to the right audience.
Q. As a filmmaker, does it matter to you to be recognised at globally revered platforms like the Cannes Film Festival or be chosen as an official entry to the Oscars?
A. It’s a nice feeling to win awards and be recognised at big platforms, but nothing beats the joy of seeing people entering the theatres, watching your film and applauding. Getting the response and feedback directly from the audience is the biggest inspiration for any filmmaker. That’s also the reason I wanted to release Angammal in the cinemas, so that the maximum number of people can watch it.
One good thing that happened with Ave Maria was that it got released on Amazon Prime Video at a time when not much Malayalam content was streaming on OTT. That resulted in a lot of people watching the movie across India. People – from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and even North India – either personally contacted me or wrote to me on social media about the movie. So, it was worth it. More than the revenue, OTT helped the film in gaining more reach and appreciation.
Q. Your films and characters seem to have a very curious and earthy touch to them. Do you consciously look out for these kinds of stories?
A. I don’t actively look out for stories like these. But I am somebody who relies on instincts, and the same happens when I am making a film. While reading a book or visiting a place, if something strikes me instinctively, I just follow that. I try to stick to the initial feeling that I get, and then build on it. I don’t scrutinise that inkling too much – whether or not it will work out; what would be the implications of making a movie based on that. If there’s a strong instinct, I just trust that and carry on.
I had accidentally stumbled upon the story of Ave Maria when my friend Ashand Raju (who also plays a lead role in the film) and I had gone on a trip to Velankanni, a small town in Tamil Nadu, in 2016. The geography of the place where the story originates is very important to me. I was quite intrigued by the texture of the town. The narrative of Ave Maria borrows a lot from Velankanni and the people who live there. Similarly, while working on Angammal, most parts of the screenplay were developed only after we finalised the location. Even the myth around the ‘uchchimala wind’ came from the landscape of the place where the film was shot.
Q. Your favourite picks from MAMI 2024?
A. I couldn’t manage to watch many films, but among the ones I did, I really liked Girls Will Be Girls [writer-director Shuchi Talati’s award-winning Indo-French coming-of-age drama film, with Preeti Panigrahi and Kani Kusruti in the lead] and The Fable [Thithi fame director Raam Reddy’s drama film, starring Manoj Bajpayee, Priyanka Bose, Tillotama Shome and Deepak Dobriyal, among others].
Apart from these two, I also loved Shahana Goswami and Sunita Rajwar starring Santosh. [Written and directed by Sandhya Suri, the crime drama film is the UK’s official entry for the ‘Best International Feature Film’ award at Oscars 2025].
