'Pravaha' - film directed by Ramadas Naidu selected for Indian Panorama 2004

If success of a commercial film is measured by box-office collection, it is awards and accolades for offbeat films. 'Pravaha', produced and directed by award winning director Ramadas Naidu falls under the second category. Good news is on its way to Pravaha. This film has been shortlist for Indian Panorama 2004, a prestigious film award in India. Naidu's directorial Mussanje highlighting the problems faced by elderly people had bagged six state awards while Pravaha is conceptualized on globalization, its aftereffects on our culture and tradition. Having a potter as an exemplary victim, this film also sheds light on poverty of village craftsmen, their miserable social life, bossism of upper-class people and politics.

Marappa, a potter who struggle for survival in the changed realities of life and finds its difficult to continue his age-old pottery craft as plastic articles compete and replace his clayware. His son Siddarama grows up in this unenviable environ of decadence. Apart from picturising the reality of a villager's life, his struggle and burden, director Naidu has effectively portrayed the decaying conditions of rural education systems, traditions that are losing its base due to urbanization, and how cities are being crowded, Acchutha Kumar and Master Rohitkumar as Marappa and Siddharamaiah in film Pravaha

Acchutha Kumar and Master Rohitkumar as Marappa and Siddharamaiah in film Pravaha

polluted due to uncontrolled migrations. Today people in villages are not being able to continue their hereditary professions. Potter Marappa in Pravaha is a representation of this scenario. His son Siddarama who migrates to town symbolizes today's youths who are forced to move to towns. So the cities get crowded, slums come up and problems multiply. Where is the answer for all these?

The way traditions and cultures are going baseless due to globalization, offbeat films are taking backseat due to flooded commercial movies. Still, films like Pravaha are being recognized on the national level. This shows, we still have value for creativity and novelty. We at viggy.com congratulate the Pravaha team.