Otto René Castillo was a Guatemalan poet, playwright, and revolutionary who penned the powerfully evocative poem, “Apolitical Intellectuals”, in the 1960s. This era in Guatemala was marked by social unrest, oppression, and government crackdowns on dissent. “Apolitical Intellectuals” sharply critiques intellectuals who choose to stay detached from political engagement and social struggles. Written during political upheaval and oppression in Guatemala, the poem is a scathing indictment of those who choose to stay on the margins.
Castillo wrote:
“One day,
the apolitical intellectuals
of my country
will be interrogated
by the simplest
of our people.
They will be asked
about what they did
when their fatherland
was being slowly extinguished
like a sweet fire,
small and alone....”
Castillo was tortured and burned alive by the government in 1967. However, his poems and activism inspired and intellectually charged young people globally, including iconic Indian filmmaker John Abraham. Abraham’s 1986 cult film, Amma Ariyan (Report to Mother), has a poignant scene where a character reads Castillo’s “Apolitical Intellectuals” inside a car at a busy junction, and an onlooker joins in, creating a beautiful scene of solidarity.
Such scenes were the hallmark of films from an interesting era in the history of Indian cinema. Released on Christmas Day, 1986, Amma Ariyan began a new movement in Malayalam cinema. An experimental avant-garde film, it revolves around the events following the death of a young revolutionary. A refreshingly unique experiment in style and substance, Amma Ariyan became a legend not just in Malayalam cinema but also earned a spot on the British Film Institute’s top 10 Indian films. Abraham is celebrated for his uncompromising commitment to realism and social critique, with films like Agraharathil Kazhuthai (Donkey in a Brahmin Village) and Amma Ariyan showcasing his dedication to the struggles of the marginalised as well as to the complexities of human relationships. His minimalist approach and attention to curious, quirky, and often crucial detail create raw authenticity.
Amma Ariyan is now available on YouTube in a neatly restored version. Abraham was inspired by his guru Ritwik Ghatak, the former principal of his alma mater, the Film and Television Institute of India. Ghatak’s emotionally charged narratives too depicted the socio-political turmoil of post-independence Bengal. In films such as Meghe Dhaka Tara and Subarnarekha, Ghatak explored displacement, identity crisis, and complex human conditions through stark imagery and melodramatic storytelling techniques.
An important name in this blossoming of films from the 1970s and 1980s that blended the intellectual and cinematic to produce a new visual language is that of Kumar Shahani, who died in February. Shahani (December 7, 1940-February 24, 2024) was a visionary filmmaker who pushed boundaries and he, too, was a student of Ghatak like John Abraham and his contemporary Mani Kaul.
Kaul, a behemoth in the parallel cinema movement, is known for his experimental narratives and avant-garde techniques. Films like Uski Roti and Duvidha challenge traditional cinematic norms with non-linear narratives and poetic visuals whose exploration of time, space, and perception elevates the medium of cinema to an art form, blurring the lines between reality and illusion.
Shahani belongs fully to this lineage and works like Maya Darpan, Tarang (released a couple of years before Amma Ariyan in 1984), and Khayal Gatha blend elements of mythology, philosophy, and allegory to craft narratives that challenge conventional storytelling. Like John’s cinema, Shahani’s works demand active participation from the viewer, inviting them into a world where meaning is layered, and interpretations are manifold. Every frame is insightful, and every character holds a mirror to society, exposing its naked truths. Obviously, not many liked what they saw in those mirrors. But for many others, these films opened up new vistas of intellectual and vicarious fulfilment.
Many of the films from this era resonate to this day. This is reflected in the recreation of the “Castillo” scene from Amma Ariyan in Instagram reels and YouTube shorts, in the context of the contemporary political climate in India, especially in the context of the upcoming general election and the rise of the right wing.
In tribute to Kumar Shahani, Frontline recently carried two insightful pieces. Beginning with eminent film critic M.K. Raghavendra’s analysis of Shahani’s world, you then move on to Shaikh Ayaz’s anecdote-rich take on Shahani’s films and methods of filmmaking where he talks to the likes of Mita Vashisht, who worked closely with Shahani.
As always, we’d love to hear your comments. Do you think the films of Shahani or John Abraham or Mani Kaul or Mrinal Sen are relevant today, in this age of OTT-powered, social-media-marketed cinema?
Wishing you a lovely week ahead,
For Team Frontline,
Jinoy Jose P.
