Revisiting the epoch

With Veeraputhran joining the long list of period films, Kochi Times takes a look at some of the other successful ones in the genre
Over the eons of time mankind has been fascinated about the past as much as they are curious about the future. And there is no wonder the folklores which began with 'Once upon a time' has now been replaced by period movies capturing the imagination of millions. But whether it is a line-by-line recreation of facts or tweaking history holding the 'artistic freedom' playcard these movies end up raking never ending debates among the intellects and historians. Joining the bandwagon is P T Kunhu Mohammed's Veeraputhran, a biographical film on freedom fighter Mohammed Abdul Rahman Sahib. And it seems just the right time to look back at some of those movies which have not only entertained us by telling us stories of our past but also unfurled a whirlwind of discussions and debates.
Veeraputhran (2011)
Director P T Kunhu Mohammed's vision on the death of the legend Mohammed Abdul Rahman Sahib has sparked off debates from various quarters. The character of Mohammed Abdul Rahman Sahib essayed by Naren is accused of giving indications that Rahman Sahib was poisoned to death by Chennamangalur's ancestral family. Hameed Chennamangalur has come out in the open saying the movie is defaming his family and such alterations will mislead future generation. Whereas P T Kunhu Mohammed sticks on to the storyline he has chosen underlining that he has not altered history but has given life to a novel written by N P Muhammed.

Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha (1989)
An idiosyncratic interpretation of the folklore Vadakkan Pattu, M T Vasudevan Nair's Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha is an alternative version of the legend as it presents the incident from Chandu's (essayed by Mammootty) perspective. Though MT was critically acclaimed and Mammootty praised for the movie, the climax of the movie, Chandu stabbing himself with a knife, is still a point of discussion. The popularity of Vadakkan Pattu and publicity underlining that the movie is an alternative view point did save it from altercations.

Black Friday (2004)
When Anurag Kashyap recreated the horrors of 1993 Bombay blast, by adapting S Hussain Zaidi's Black Friday The True Story of Bombay Bomb Blast, he knew he was courting controversy. The movie traces the motive for the blasts to the Bombay Riots, which is the term used to describe the bloody warring between the Hindu and Muslim communities in the period from December 1992 to January 1993. The movie remained in the cans for two years since its completion as many who were accused as criminals gave a stay order in the court and later allowed to be screened after the accused where charged under the TADA Act.
Passion of the Christ (2004)
Religion is a sensitive topic. And filming a movie about the final 12 hours of Jesus Christ, meant opening a Pandora Box. Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ has been highly controversial for many question its accuracy while others simply hated the violence. The movie was accused of being anti-semitic (invoking hatred against Jews) and critics were troubled by its explicitly detailed violence. However, Mel Gibson received support from some of the most known evangelical leaders of USA's conservative church organisations making it one of the most discussed movie of all times.
Compiled by Anula Aboobacker

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