Swaham (English: My Own) is a 1994 Indian Malayalam-language drama film produced, co-written and directed by Shaji N. Karun. The film stars Ashwini, Venumani Vishnu, and Mullenezhi. The film's music was composed by Isaac Thomas Kottukapally and K. Raghavan. Swaham met with widespread critical acclaim upon release. The film was screened at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palme d'Or.[1][2]
| Swaham | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Shaji N. Karun |
| Written by | Shaji N. Karun S. Jayachandran Nair Reghunath Paleri |
| Produced by | Shaji N. Karun |
| Starring | Ashwini Kalamandalam Haridas Bharath Gopi Praseetha Mullenezhi Sarath Venmani Vishnu Gopalakrishnan |
| Cinematography | Hari Nair |
| Edited by | P. Raman Nair |
| Music by | Isaac Thomas Kottukapally K. Raghavan |
Release date |
|
Running time | 141 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Malayalam |
Plot
editAnnapoorna lives with her son and daughter, and struggles to get by, trying to earn a living from the teashop near a railway station once owned by her now deceased husband. Her son Kannan does whatever he can to help whilst trying to continue his education, but this proves difficult and he fails his exams. His mother decides to send him to a military recruitment camp, hoping he will find employment. This seems to be the family's only hope, but this option is expensive. Eventually Kannan is admitted after Annapoorna pays a hefty sum to a man associated with the camp. Later, Kannan is killed in a stampede at the camp, and his bereaved mother brings his body back home in an ambulance. Annapoorna's daughter waits anxiously for the return of her mother and brother.
Cast
edit- Ashwini
- Kalamandalam Haridas
- Bharath Gopi
- Praseetha
- Mullenezhi
- Sarath das
- Venmani Vishnu
- Gopalakrishnan
Awards and nominations
editThe film has won and been nominated for the following awards since its release:
1995 Bergamo Film Meeting (Italy)
- Won - Bronze Rosa Camuna - Shaji N. Karun
1994 Cannes Film Festival (France)
- Nominated - Palme d'Or - Shaji N. Karun[1]
1995 National Film Awards (India)
- Won - Silver Lotus Award - Special Jury Award - Director - Shaji N. Karun
1995 Kerala State Film Awards (India)
- Won - Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Film
1995 Innsbruck Film Festival (Austria)
- Won - Best Film - Swam - Shaji N. Karun
References
edit- ^ a b "Festival de Cannes: Swaham". festival-cannes.com. Archived from the original on 7 September 2019. Retrieved 30 August 2009.
- ^ Ramnarayan, Gowri (7 October 1994). "Drowning in despond: Swaham, a story of widowhood". Frontline. Vol. 11. S. Rangarajan for Kasturi & Sons. pp. 74–75.