Sancharram (2004)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Ligy J. Pullappally

Writer:

Ligy J. Pullappally (writer)

Release Date:

October 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

In Sancharram ("The Journey"), Kiran is mortified by her growing lesbian desire for the effervescent Delilah, in an idyllic Indian village where arranged marriage is the only acceptable form of coupling.

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Suhasini V. Nair	...	Kiran
Shrruiti Menon	...	Delilah
K.P.A.C. Lalitha	...	Amma
Valsala Menon	...	Ammachi
Syam Seethal	...	Rajan
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sruthi

Also Known As:

The Journey (USA)

Runtime:

USA:107 min

Country:

India

Language:

Malayalam

Color:

Color

Certification:

Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Ottappalam, Kerala, India

A very simple story beautifully told

I saw this movie at Febio Fest, Prague in the category 'Another Shore' - which seemed to be a euphemism for 'gay interest'. Indeed Screen 4 was prominently labelled 'Gay and Lesbian'. Maybe this was some kind of health-warning - watch out for your neighbour or put newspaper on the seats - so as to pander to sleazy Czech President Klaus's well-known prejudices? But the other implication, that some movies should be judged by special 'gay' criteria, seems equally silly, however. So, as a 60-something grandfather I'm judging it simply as a movie in its own right.

In a word - terrific! If one has to find a fault some of the earlier scenes are a bit slow and we have to wait for the two principals until the story really pulls us in, but once they arrive the wait has been well worth it.

A very simple, chronological coming-of-age story combined with romance, it doesn't try to do anything artsy and clever: a bit of scenic camera work to make the most of the Kerala locations and that's it. Otherwise the director relies on a well-structured script (her own) and lets the cast carry the weight. And how well they succeed! The secondary characters are excellent - especially Delilah's mother - and there isn't even a minor part that isn't well-done. Which makes it all the more remarkable how the two principals - Suhasini V Nair as Kiran and Shrruiti Menon as Delilah - so dominate every group scene. The scenes between just the two lovers are better still - some will stand comparison with any of the romantic classics. The personal chemistry is perfect, the scenes beautifully understated and marvellously played. One doesn't particularly register, much less care, that this is a love between two women - it is simply a love that overwhelms both them and us.

This film's own qualities are so outstanding that it doesn't need any special allowances implicit in promoting it as a 'gay-interest' movie. Just get it on to DVD and into as many cinemas as possible.