Group study

Anand Ekarshi on the making of Aattam, the opening film at the International Film Festival of India's Indian Panorama section

-  NIRMAL JOVIAL

On October 13, Aattam (The Play), a Malayalam feature film directed by debutant Anand Ekarshi, had its world premiere at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA). With more than 90 per cent of the audience being non-Malayalis, the filmmaker was worried about how they would perceive a dialogue-centric movie, even with subtitles. Post screening, all his concerns were laid to rest. Men and women reacted differently to the film—something he had observed in all the five screenings he had with audiences. The film, which won the Grand Jury Award at IFFLA, explores the outlook of a group of theatre actors who become aware of a sexual crime committed against the lone female artiste by a perpetrator who is hiding among them. “Many of the women spectators told us that they went emotionally numb and silent for a couple of hours after the screening,” says Ekarshi, 35. “Each of them recounted a similar experience in their own lives, navigating situations where they not only confronted sexual violence but also grappled with the challenge of convincing others to believe their account. Meanwhile, the film affected men differently. One guy came to say: ‘Finally, I felt like I got a slap on my face. I felt that I was part of that group [of men portrayed in the film].’”