Virundhu (The Feast, 2023): A stirring tale of food and dissent
Dipankar Sarkar provides a comprehensive analysis on the Rishi Chandna's short film Virundhu.
Rishi Chandna's short film Virundhu is set near Pulicat Lake in Tamil Nadu and centers around Mary, a fisherwoman, living in a village and a local politician, residing in the city. Thomas. Once friends from the village, the vagaries of their lives have resulted in a sour relationship. We could presume that the conspicuous class division that exists between them could be the primary reason that created the splitting.
As the film begins, we follow the protagonist, Mary, as she wends through the river, extracting prawns. But marine creatures have been contaminated by oil spills. She returns home almost empty-handed. She lives in a village with her daughter, Josie. It is then revealed that she has invited her friend Thomas for dinner. But Thomas is not sure if he will be able to make it. Moreover, he is somewhat displeased with Mary because she is part of the protests against the factory that has polluted the river. The factory owners complain to Thomas regarding Mary's campaigns against them. Ironically, Josie and her boyfriend work in the same factory. Mary travels far off to collect fish like prawns, milkfish, mullets, and mud crabs from people belonging to the fishing folk. She begins her grand preparation. The local chapel which has not been cleaned for a long time is tidied up and decorated by local boys. Later in the evening, Thomas turns up but he is surprised to discover that he is the only one to be invited. The rest of the night becomes an exploration of heightened emotion and vulnerability.
Chandna who has previously directed non-fiction such as Tungrus (2018) and Party Poster (2022) makes his entry into fiction films with Virundhu. He takes a subjective approach and puts us into the proverbial shoes of the characters. He is well aware of the significance of immersing us in the rhythms of everyday life before jolting us out of our complacency in the final moments of the film. Food becomes the crux through which the story gets elevated to a subtle observation of how grief and reconciliation can bridge the gaps between individuals and provide emotional nourishment. When Thomas relishes the mud crab soup prepared by Mary, it brings back memories of the same dish prepared by his deceased grandmother that once satiated his taste buds. But the purpose for the invitation has an ulterior motive.
Owing to her position in society, Mary's culinary skills become a means of protesting the environmental exploitation she has been encountering for so long. The approach she takes is non-violent, and emotionally resonant and thus makes a piercing effect on Thomas' latent consciousness. The prayer session before the meal sensitively deals with a pent-up rage that is laced with an even balance of subtle drama and a moderated dose of humour. Within a brief yet emotionally charged evening, the filmmaker documents heartfelt conversations that share personal stories and collective histories.
Throughout the narrative, the filmmaker consistently emphasizes the central concept of the film: the harmful impact of human activity endangers marine life diversity and individual liberties. The frames composed by Sraiyanti & Prem Akkattu seamlessly lead us into Mary's raw emotional world and effectively capture her turmoil. Most of the time, the scenes are dominated by a blue colour tone which highlights the gloominess brought upon the principal character by climate-induced harm. The editing by Ashwin Arvind builds up the tempo of the film with a subdued sense of drama. The sound design by Alok Kotian is balanced and imaginatively interwoven into the fabric of the film. D. Antony Janagi as Mary and George Vijay Nelson as Thomas endow their characters with a nuanced portrayal and restrained performance.
Virundhu had the risk of being seen as cliché in terms of films that deal with the exploitation of marginalized people. What sets it apart is the unique backdrop and the discerning perspective of the filmmaker. It has won the special jury award at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival 2024
As the film begins, we follow the protagonist, Mary, as she wends through the river, extracting prawns. But marine creatures have been contaminated by oil spills. She returns home almost empty-handed. She lives in a village with her daughter, Josie. It is then revealed that she has invited her friend Thomas for dinner. But Thomas is not sure if he will be able to make it. Moreover, he is somewhat displeased with Mary because she is part of the protests against the factory that has polluted the river. The factory owners complain to Thomas regarding Mary's campaigns against them. Ironically, Josie and her boyfriend work in the same factory. Mary travels far off to collect fish like prawns, milkfish, mullets, and mud crabs from people belonging to the fishing folk. She begins her grand preparation. The local chapel which has not been cleaned for a long time is tidied up and decorated by local boys. Later in the evening, Thomas turns up but he is surprised to discover that he is the only one to be invited. The rest of the night becomes an exploration of heightened emotion and vulnerability.
Chandna who has previously directed non-fiction such as Tungrus (2018) and Party Poster (2022) makes his entry into fiction films with Virundhu. He takes a subjective approach and puts us into the proverbial shoes of the characters. He is well aware of the significance of immersing us in the rhythms of everyday life before jolting us out of our complacency in the final moments of the film. Food becomes the crux through which the story gets elevated to a subtle observation of how grief and reconciliation can bridge the gaps between individuals and provide emotional nourishment. When Thomas relishes the mud crab soup prepared by Mary, it brings back memories of the same dish prepared by his deceased grandmother that once satiated his taste buds. But the purpose for the invitation has an ulterior motive.
Owing to her position in society, Mary's culinary skills become a means of protesting the environmental exploitation she has been encountering for so long. The approach she takes is non-violent, and emotionally resonant and thus makes a piercing effect on Thomas' latent consciousness. The prayer session before the meal sensitively deals with a pent-up rage that is laced with an even balance of subtle drama and a moderated dose of humour. Within a brief yet emotionally charged evening, the filmmaker documents heartfelt conversations that share personal stories and collective histories.
Throughout the narrative, the filmmaker consistently emphasizes the central concept of the film: the harmful impact of human activity endangers marine life diversity and individual liberties. The frames composed by Sraiyanti & Prem Akkattu seamlessly lead us into Mary's raw emotional world and effectively capture her turmoil. Most of the time, the scenes are dominated by a blue colour tone which highlights the gloominess brought upon the principal character by climate-induced harm. The editing by Ashwin Arvind builds up the tempo of the film with a subdued sense of drama. The sound design by Alok Kotian is balanced and imaginatively interwoven into the fabric of the film. D. Antony Janagi as Mary and George Vijay Nelson as Thomas endow their characters with a nuanced portrayal and restrained performance.
Virundhu had the risk of being seen as cliché in terms of films that deal with the exploitation of marginalized people. What sets it apart is the unique backdrop and the discerning perspective of the filmmaker. It has won the special jury award at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival 2024
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