I don’t corner my characters, only place them in context: Filmmaker Vinothraj

CHENNAI: For a film that strips down abject poverty, sympathy is the last thing that one feels while watching Koozhangal.

Perhaps, this is because first-time director PS Vinothraj managed to be that quintessential objective observer, watching life weave its warps and wefts without tainting them with his perceptions. And because he is objective, the audience too could watch the day unfold in the lives of a father and a son, played by newcomers Karuththadaiyaan and Chellapandi, and the people that they come across, without having to judge them or the way they live.

“When placed within the context – the blistering sun, the almost-a-desert landscape, and the abject poverty – there is really no need to explain the exploding anger or the way ‘victims’ take it out on the ‘weaker’ women and children. It is just the way of life for those living there. It is not for me to say that is wrong or right. My intention is not to corner them, but show where they come from so we can better understand them,” says Vinothraj.

Koozhangal, or Pebbles, which never saw a theatrical release in the country – and Vinothraj – shot into prominence when India chose the film as its 2022 Oscar entry over favourites like Gujarati film Chhello Show and Shoojit Sircar’s Sardar Udham Singh.

Although he tried for a limited release, Vinothraj says it was not possible to showcase the film in theatres because of its length – only 75 minutes – and because it didn’t have a pre-and-post-interval format. So the film, which remained a festival circuit favourite, winning many prestigious awards since 2021, was finally made available for streaming on SonyLiv from October 27.