Lakshmi (2017 Film)
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''Lakshmi'' is a 2017 Indian
Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
-language
short film A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film o ...
written, directed and edited by
Sarjun KM Sarjun KM is an Indian film director and writer who works in the Tamil cinema industry. He made his directorial feature film debut with '' Echcharikkai – Idhu Manidhargal Nadamaadum Idam'' (2018). Career Sarjun's career was launched after ...
, and was produced by I. B. Karthikeyan under the banner Big Print Pictures. The film stars
Lakshmi Priyaa Chandramouli Lakshmi Priyaa Chandramouli is a ''National Award'' winning Indian actress who predominantly works in Tamil films. A post graduate in human resource management from Madras School of Social Work, she joined the English theatre company Evam as a ...
in the titular character along with Nandan and Leo Sivadass which revolves around the life of the protagonist Lakshmi. The film had background music composed by Sundaramurthy KS and was cinematographed by Sudarshan Srinivasan. ''Lakshmi'' was screened at various international film festivals receiving acclaim from prominent members of the film industry. It was distributed by
Gautham Vasudev Menon Gautham Vasudev Menon (born 25 February 1973) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, film producer and actor who predominantly works in Tamil cinema, Tamil film industry. He has also directed Telugu cinema, Telugu, Hindi cinema, Hindi and Ma ...
who released the film through the official
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channel of the film production company Ondraga Entertainment on 1 November 2017. The film was praised for the direction, but drew criticism for the bold storyline, which ensured its popularity among the audience.


Plot

Lakshmi the protagonist of the story (
Lakshmi Priyaa Chandramouli Lakshmi Priyaa Chandramouli is a ''National Award'' winning Indian actress who predominantly works in Tamil films. A post graduate in human resource management from Madras School of Social Work, she joined the English theatre company Evam as a ...
), lives a “machine-like” existence, working at home and in the printing press, cooking, cleaning, and being ‘available’ for her husband when he ‘desires’ her, before she decides to live for herself, for a single day. Kathir (Nandan), a sculptor and painter, who is a contrast to the life Lakshmi knows. He's genteel, with eyes that laugh, mouths Bharati's lines on female emancipation, is sensitive and does not shy from cooking, and cooking well for a woman he's met on the train. A dilemma arose as Lakshmi had to decide which life she had to choose - A mundane existence or one where she's celebrated.


Cast

*
Lakshmi Priyaa Chandramouli Lakshmi Priyaa Chandramouli is a ''National Award'' winning Indian actress who predominantly works in Tamil films. A post graduate in human resource management from Madras School of Social Work, she joined the English theatre company Evam as a ...
as Lakshmi * Nandan as Kathir * Leo Sivadass as Sekar * Master Mithun * Sasi


Production

Director
Sarjun KM Sarjun KM is an Indian film director and writer who works in the Tamil cinema industry. He made his directorial feature film debut with '' Echcharikkai – Idhu Manidhargal Nadamaadum Idam'' (2018). Career Sarjun's career was launched after ...
worked as an assistant to filmmaker
Mani Ratnam Gopalaratnam Subramaniam (born 2 June 1956), known professionally as Mani Ratnam, is an Indian film director, film producer and screenwriter who predominantly works in Tamil cinema and a few Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films. H ...
and
A. R. Murugadoss Murugadas Arunachalam (born 25 September 1974), known professionally as AR Murugadoss, () is an Indian film director, screenwriter and film producer who predominantly works in the Tamil film industry. He is best known for directing action films ...
in the past. He decided to cast
Lakshmi Priyaa Chandramouli Lakshmi Priyaa Chandramouli is a ''National Award'' winning Indian actress who predominantly works in Tamil films. A post graduate in human resource management from Madras School of Social Work, she joined the English theatre company Evam as a ...
after being impressed by her work in ''
Maya Maya may refer to: Ethnic groups * Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America ** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples ** Mayan languages, the languages of the Maya peoples * Maya (East Africa), a p ...
'' (2015), to make a short film which had the protagonist, a lower middle-class girl who faces all the issues as similar to women hailing from middle class. But Sarjun stated that her character has a rare dignity about her, whom she is good about everything, however believes in male superiority.
Sarjun KM Sarjun KM is an Indian film director and writer who works in the Tamil cinema industry. He made his directorial feature film debut with '' Echcharikkai – Idhu Manidhargal Nadamaadum Idam'' (2018). Career Sarjun's career was launched after ...
initially wanted to include another character whose life is contrast from the protagonist, and later zeroed on his old acquaintance Nandan. He eventually stated that the script takes a bold stand on the lack of sexual satisfaction for women, and the lack of a space for couples when living in cramped dwellings. Producer I. B. Karthikeyan agreed to fund the project at a budget of 70,000 and a bulk amount was spent on creating the sculpture's studio. The film was shot in three days on a
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camera in and across
Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
. Goutham R. Shankar worked as the digital intermediate and according to Gautham and the film's cinematographer Sudarshan Srinivasan, the film is a mix of black-and-white and colour, as the former to showcase her mundane life and the latter to hint at possibilities.


Soundtrack

The background music is composed by Sundaramurthy KS, who also composed a promotional
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from the film titled "Nimirndha Nannadai", which is based on a poem written by Mahakavi Subramaniya Bharathiyar. The song had additional lyrics written by
Siva Ananth Siva Ananth (also credited as A. Sivakumar) is an Indian film writer, producer, lyricist, director and actor who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. Siva made his directorial debut with the Telugu film ''Chukkallo Chandrudu'' (2006). He later ...
and was sung by Sarjun KM and Sriradha Bharath. It was released on 11 November 2017, through all music streaming platforms and in
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.


Reception

''Lakshmi'' received mixed-to-positive response from audience. With acclaimed filmmakers
Mani Ratnam Gopalaratnam Subramaniam (born 2 June 1956), known professionally as Mani Ratnam, is an Indian film director, film producer and screenwriter who predominantly works in Tamil cinema and a few Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films. H ...
and
Gautham Vasudev Menon Gautham Vasudev Menon (born 25 February 1973) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, film producer and actor who predominantly works in Tamil cinema, Tamil film industry. He has also directed Telugu cinema, Telugu, Hindi cinema, Hindi and Ma ...
praised Sarjun for the direction and making, it received furore after ten days being uploaded on
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
(from 1 November 2017). It received less than 50,000 views in first five days and suddenly the film got 1.5 million views overnight which triggered a massive outrage upon release. Viewers drew crtiticism against the makers for justifying an extra-marital affair, for equating women empowerment with sexual independence and also trolled the film's lead protagonist
Lakshmi Priyaa Chandramouli Lakshmi Priyaa Chandramouli is a ''National Award'' winning Indian actress who predominantly works in Tamil films. A post graduate in human resource management from Madras School of Social Work, she joined the English theatre company Evam as a ...
and its director Sarjun. In a supportive note, the chief writer of ''
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'', Ashameera Aiyyapan stated "The controversy around Lakshmi makes us rethink how we see women on-screen ..What people fail to understand is that at the end of the day, it is a story. A story of a middle-class woman, frustrated by her unhappy marriage, falters and gives in to temptation. It wasn’t particularly necessary, the indifference Lakshmi suffered from was pretty evident. Possibly he realised that indifference is not enough reason for a woman to err; so that audience can forgive Lakshmi easier."
Sowmya Rajendran Sowmya Rajendran is an Indian writer. She is the winner of Sahitya Akademi's 2015 Bal Sahitya Puraskar and has written over 20 books. She has written young adult fiction, picture books and inspirational books for children. Career Rajendran's w ...
, editor-in-chief of ''
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'' wrote that "The film would have worked better if Lakshmi's self-discovery had happened because she makes that internal journey herself - this is what sets apart films like ''
English Vinglish ''English Vinglish'' is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language comedy drama, comedy-drama film written and directed by Gauri Shinde. The film stars Sridevi as Shashi Godbole, a small Entrepreneurship, entrepreneur who makes snacks and sweets. Shashi enro ...
'' and ''
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''. Nevertheless, ''Lakshmi'' is an attempt to show a woman's desire to flout the rules to seek her own happiness." She further stated about the concept of ''
Sindhu Bhairavi Sindhu Bhairavi may refer to: * Sindhu Bhairavi (raga) Sindhu Bhairavi is a raga in Hindustani and Carnatic classical music, belonging to the Asavari thaat. In Carnatic music it is a Janya raga of the 8th melakartha raga Hanumatodi. The r ...
'', ''
Agni Natchathiram ''Agni Natchathiram'' () is a 1988 Indian Tamil-language masala film that was written and directed by Mani Ratnam. The film stars Prabhu, Karthik, Amala and newcomer Nirosha, with Vijayakumar, Jayachitra, Sumithra, Tara, S. N. Laksh ...
'', ''
Gopurangal Saivathillai ''Gopurangal Saivathillai'' ( ) is a 1982 Indian Tamil-language film directed by Manivannan and produced by P. Kalaimani. The film stars Mohan, Suhasini and Radha, while S. Ve. Shekher and Vinu Chakravarthy play supporting roles. It revolves ...
'' and other movies that had central men characters with extra-marital relationships, which is similar to this film, but also questioned that why it was not criticised. In response to the negative comments, Lakshmi Priyaa stated that she was thankful to all those who'd appreciated the film but that whatever she'd read out was only a small sample of all the abusive comments about her, the director, and his family that had come their way. The actor went on to say that everyone had the right to critique a film but that it shouldn't be in such a way that another human being is disrespected.


References


External links

* {{IMDb title, tt7999872 2017 short films Indian short films 2010s Tamil-language films 2017 films 2010s Indian films