Friday Review
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All in the family
M.L. NARASIMHAM
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Muthyala Subbiah’s 50th film ‘Aalayam’ celebrates the joint family system.
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Song ‘n’ dance Sivaji and Honey Rose in a still from ‘Aalayam’.
Wow! What a scene it was at the Hindu College in the suburban Ibrahimpatnam, about 30 km from Hyderabad. Over a hundred member unit is working for Aalayam, produced by UK-based R. Anup Chakravarthy. Once you cross the men and machi
nes at the shooting spot and reach the entrance to the college, you find about 50 actors lined up for the shoot! And mind you, these are not junior actors but well known to the audiences.
Hero Sivaji, heroine Honey Rose, actors Ranganath, Chalapathi Rao, Naresh, Brahmanandam, L.B. Sriram, Sivaji Raja, Raghu, Seetha, Annapurna, Geethanjali, Kovai Sarala, Hema and Pavithra are among them. A festive atmosphere ruled the sprawling area. Director Muthyala Subbiah (M.S.) had a hearty laugh as someone cracked a joke. Looking at the stars’ attire, you wonder whether they are in the midst of a wedding celebration.
Added to that is the presence of choreographer Krishna Reddy and his assistants. A few lines from a song composed by Koti is played on the nagra. Sivaji and Honey Rose seem to have practiced the steps by then.
Once the choreographer started counting, they match steps with the other actors joining the revelry.
Cinematographer N. Sudhakar Reddy mounted the camera on the semi-circular trolley to take a few close up shots.
During the break, we learn that the entire star cast assembled there to shoot for a portion of the song to show the exteriors of the huge house belonging to the head of a joint family (played by veteran filmmaker K.B. Tilak).
Most part of the song has already been shot in the interiors of a bungalow set at Ramanaidu Studios, Nanakramguda.
Next, editor V. Nagi Reddy would match the exteriors with the interiors so that the audience would get the feeling that the proceedings are taking place under one roof.
Muthyala Subbiah is known for well-crafted family dramas. Some call him Master of Socials while others say he is the master of sentimental subjects.
The veteran director has tasted success with sensible films like Kalikaalam, Ammayi Kapuram and family dramas like Pavithrabandham and Pellichesukundam. M.S returns after a two-year hiatus and tackles his pet theme – voicing for the waning joint family system in this his 50th directorial venture.
The actors seem to enjoy this shooting stint. The unit resembles one huge joint family that the director wishes to showcase in his film. And this combined family works for the development of their village.
They want to bring into the village all the comforts of city life without losing out on values and traditions. Sounds good. When two people are unable to share life without skirmishes, is it possible to have 50 to 60 people –– grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts, children and cousins living under one roof, you wonder as M.S. talks to you about the bliss of living in a joint family. Such a house naturally becomes an Aalayam.
Who knows, the trend may well return into our social milieu and interestingly M.S. is making this movie for Trend Set Films. Watch it this summer.
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Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
|
