The film lovers are familiar with
the movements, Italian New Wave and French Neo-Realism. Likewise the big
revaluating happening in the Malabar region of Kerala, it was home films. A ’home film’ is a part of
the motion picture film making process made by amateurs, mainly for family viewers. These types of
films are not releasing in any public theaters but through CD ROMs and DVDs,
reaching in the public. They go directly to the audience. Now ‘home film’s have
been creating new waves in the Malayalam film industry. Comparing to the
mainstream Malayalam films, ‘home film’s are confined to the small-scale film
production industry. ‘home film’s have their own status among classical
Malayalam films and Malayalam commercial films. While all Malayalam commercial
films and classical dramatic films aim at profit motive, reputation, and awards.
But in contrast the ‘home film’s’ are bringing to the audience, a conscious
awareness on the unique problems related to the Malabar Muslims.
A revolution of ‘home films’ in
Kerala was pioneered by Salam Kodiyathoor and Siddiq Kodiayathoor.
The first ‘home film’, ‘Ningalenne Branthanakki’(You Have Made Me Mad) was by
Salam Kodiyathoor. It was a drama of the same, which was staged from 1995 to
2000. Later, he has made some modifications in this drama and recreated it into
a film format having the same characters.
The
length of this kind of films is similar to the mainstream films. Majority of
the ‘home films’ are based on the relevant domestic issues in the society. They
bring out the unethical practices and question the superstitious beliefs in the
society. ‘Home films’ is easy to make and
more affordable to an average person. Production cost varies in ‘home film’-making
and professional film-making. Classic and commercial films go for the latest
technological devices available. But the home films lack this.
Like Italian Neo-Realism and French
New Wave which influenced the western culture, the ‘home films’ plays a big role in the present society. It has
influenced mostly the people who lives in the Malabar region [upper middle part
of the Kerala] and those expatriate Muslims because it has discussed the
problems within the same community and the painful life of expatriate Malabar
Muslims. The concept of dowry, love, family relations (father-mother, peer
groups, brother-sister, husband-wife etc.), zakath, superstitians, are some of
the themes highlighting in these films. The
leading ‘home film’ director, Salam Kodiyathur observes the relevance of the ‘home
film’s in this present society: “The
changing social values and the transformation of societies (in wrong way)
create lots of tension and suffocations among the people and we must be ready
to overcome such issues. ‘Home films’ is one of the best medium to convey the
spiritual and social values against the traditional and superstitious beliefs
of the people. These films, I hope, would help the community members to
overcome such challenges and uphold the social and cultural values of our
society.”
All these films have been highly popular among the community and also well
received in outside the country like Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other European and
American countries where Malabar Muslims live as well. Muslim community especially
in Malabar region is very familiar with the ‘home films’. The major ‘home film’
makers are from Malappuram and Calicut since Malabar is the most Muslim
populated area in Kerala. So the directors please to tell the stories about the
Muslim families and their problems, the worse conditions of expatriate Muslims
who are working in other countries, the problems their wives face, the life
style of that community and forthcoming generation of this community. These
films illustrate the dialects and life style practices by the Muslim community.
The stereotypical representation of Muslim community in particular by the
mainstream film industry as an image of violence attributes them the title
“terrorists”. So the ‘home film’ makers take it as a challenge to reconstruct
this stereotyping of a community. They try to clarify the audience the doubts
and misconceptions regarding this community. Malabar is famous in all over the
world because of the tender attitude towards the guest and their way of
welcoming guests. ‘Home films’ focuses on these positive attitudes along with
warring against the stereotypes.
According to the critics and writers
the development of the ‘home films’ is basically from the right of the middle
class Malabar Muslims to express themselves. ‘Home film’ concept is developed from the
traditional drama and it is happened because of the digital availability and
affordability. And this type of films try to tell about the problems and
stories related to Malabar. No one has portrayed Malabar as much rather than ‘home
film’ makers.
The development of the home
films depend on the availability of equipment and media formats (video tape, CDs, DCDs, etc.) affordable to
consumers. Development of film
formats suitable for ‘home film’
makers has been available from the early history of cinematography. For
example, in 1898 the 17.5 mm "Birtac" format was split the standard
35 mm film into two halves and was able to be loaded into the camera in
daylight. For many film makers, the cost of film making was initially too high,
but they could afford to buy or hire films and watch them at home. In a
pre-television era, this was exciting. Edison’s ‘kinetoscope’ and ‘Pathe’ had
the same target audience. Film libraries were also established with ‘home films’
in the early 1980’s. According to the historians, the ‘home film’ was
introduced by Pathe in 1922. He used 35mm camera. It was for both for viewing
commercially produced ‘home film’.
The beginning of ‘home
films’in Kerala was in 1995 and Mr. Salaam Kodiathoor and Sidheeq kodiathoor
were the pioneers behind this effort. Both sidheeq and salaam are drama actors
and directors. Kodiathoor is a place in Malabar region and this small place is
familiar to others through the Drama and Villadicham pattu [musical drama].
They did almost 10 to 15 dramas all over the Malabar and around Kerala also in
some foreign countries also. After their last drama ‘Ningalenne Branthanakki’,
they decided to convert this drama into a film format in the year 2000. Many
expatriate malayalies co-operated with this pioneering venture. So the first ‘home
film’ was not a film by a single producer or not by a single master brain but
it was developed through the hard work of so many natives and expatriate
malayalies. This first ‘home film’ was a mega hit in Kerala and in gulf
countries too. This film was released in CD/ROM format and it was produced
under the banner of ‘Dawn Visual Group’ production. After 3 years, Salaam kodiyathoor
and his crew released their second film ‘Parethan Thirichuvarunnu’ (the man who
died returns). The above is about the life of expatriate malayalies and their
families. This also became a mega hit and sold out more than ten thousand
copies. After the release of their second film, the new trend in film-making
got a wide range of audience and it became a big discussion among the
mainstream filmmakers and directors. Salaam Kodiathoor and crew did more than
10 movies within 15 years. Many people behind these efforts have their own jobs
in govt. sector and in other so that they considered ‘home film’ as an
entertaining and not for commercial benefit. Almost 200 films have so far been
released all over Kerala. But many of them were not at all familiar. Some of
them became hit and some were only average in their performance and lacks well
reception. Majority of the films are now produced by gulf malayalies ( people
from kerala) and young people who are passionate in film making. The main
specialty of the ‘home film’ is that they are well framed with the culture and
life style of Malabar people. The language and dressing code and other aspects
of Malabar people are, sometimes sarcastically, used with much care and it is
the main reason why such films still attract the common people.
by ramis salam
