Karparaa (2023): A visual document on the vagaries of aging

Vignesh Kumulai's Karparaa is an impactful documentary where we patiently observe an old man and woman coping with the process of aging. They are married couples who are separated by their children. Each of them is taken care of by the individual families living in different households in the rural countryside in Tamil Nadu. The filmmaker provides us with the stark plight of the two old souls who are now a weak version of their former selves. Throughout its duration, the filmmaker does not allow sentimentalism to take over in any of the scenes. As we witness their ordeals, it breaks our hearts and makes us uncomfortable because of the harsh realities of the suffering that old age brings into our lives. The grind of everyday life moves forward at a languid pace and restrained manner. It unflinchingly depicts the poignant realities of mortal life that are very uncomfortable. This is the final phase of life, and they have lost the agility and strength to stand on their feet. To breathe almost seems like an enduring struggle to them. The bond of kinship and affection is scrutinised as the two helpless individuals need support to carry on the remaining cycle of existence.        

The film opens with a close-up shot of the old woman. The pain reflected in her eyes tells us every day of her life is a battle of survival, and it is nothing less than a herculean task. A few minutes later, we are introduced to her husband, and we watch as he crawls in the ground; his feet have lost their strength to hold him upright. His situation is no better than his wife's. Both of them seem to have negotiated with what their fate has in store for them. The family members provide all the required help and support that is within their reach. But to take care of parents when they are old is a different procedure than parents taking care of their newborn. There are instances where we observe that when the old lady wants to go for taking a piss, she asks her grandson, who initially behaves with disdain for her. But the old woman lifts herself and makes an enormous effort to walk. Out of pity, the grandson helps her. In another instance, we find that the old man is clean after he has defecated in the open. The way water is splashed on his fragile body looks like a compassionate ritual. Despite their reluctance to take on the responsibility, they are trying their best to carry on with the arduous duty of looking after the old man and woman. Such moments, and many more, provide a sensitive and probing treatment of a vital moral issue in the documentary.

Kumulai, also the cinematographer, shot the film with a keen eye that made every frame achieve a distinct aesthetic. The flora and fauna of the village captured under various weather conditions bring an evocative lyrical beauty to the visual design. The shots of the old man and the women are captured with such details that they manage to define a style that brings us closer to them. Kumulai has also edited the documentary with such precision that the juxtaposition of shots creates a delicate rhythmic flow of visual images. It helps the documentary imbue the bleak lyricism of life with hope and despair. The sound design by Karthik Dhamodaran and Hari Prasad has a restrained structure that enriches the aural quality of the film through an appropriate synthesis of nature's pristine sound and silence. There is no background to accentuate emotional high points and break rural existence's monotony. We can only hear the drifting, disembodied, and mostly off-screen voices of the family members. We never get to see her. Their domineering presence is underlined sonically.   

Individuals who like to watch documentaries with a fast pace and tight structure will have a different form of experience after watching Karparaa. It will test their patience, but in the end, their active participation will be rewarded with meditative pleasure. It is one of those works of nonfiction that sheds light on the bitter reality of our lives and brings us out of our comfort zones.        

Karparaa had its world premiere at the Rotterdam International Film Festival (Bright Future) in 2023, and it shared the award for Best Editing at Mumbai International Film Festival in 2024.    

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