Release Date: 20 August 2012From Indian master filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan (whose acclamed 1981 film Rat Trap Second Run DVD also released) Man of the Story (Kathapurushan) is an intimately-constructed drama which traces the consequences of the tumultuous political and social changes that swept through India in the years since pre-Independence 1937. Depicting these through their effect on the life of one man, the film's titular protagonist Kunjunni, Indian master Adoor Gopalakrishnan utilizes a complex blend of traditional and modern storytelling techniques to tell his tale. Drawing upon folklore and recent historical events, the film traces the rational yet difficult course of the growth and development of Kunjunni's consciousness against the backdrop of a society in transition.
In merging the personal and the political, the social context to the heartbeats of his characters, Gopalakrishnan provides a many-layered work to be greatly savoured and applauded.
The DVD features the film presented from a new digital transfer with restored picture and sound, supervised by the director, plus a new filmed interview with director Adoor Gopalakrishnan and a booklet featuring a new essay by film scholar Suranjan Ganguly.
• Presented in a new digital transfer with restored
picture and sound, supervised by the director.
• Exclusive, newly filmed interview with director
Adoor Gopalakrishnan.
• New and improved English subtitle translation.
• 16-page booklet featuring a new essay by author and film professor Suranjan Ganguly.
• First-ever DVD release of this award-winning film.
• Optimal quality dual-layer disc.
Viswanathan - Kunjunni
Mini – Meenakshi
Aranmula Ponnamma – Grandmother Muthassi
Urmila Unni - Mother
Babu Namboothiri – Veluchar, the Estate Manager
Lalita – Janamma, the Maid
Oduvil Unnikrishnan – Pachupillai, Janamma's husband
Narendra Prasad – Uncle Vasu
Directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan
Produced by Adoor Gopalakrishnan, in collaboration with Japan
Broadcasting Corporation NHK (Producer - Tokuichi Ogawa)
Story and Screenplay - Adoor Gopalakrishnan
Cinematography - Ravi Varma
Editing - M Mani
Music - Vijaya Bhaskar
Audiography - Harikumar
Art Direction – Sivan
Adoor Gopalakrishnan's acclaimed 1981 film Rat-Trap
(Elippathayam) is also available on Second Run DVD.
 |
1996 Indian National Film Awards / Winner: Best Film,
Golden Lotus Award
1996 Indian National Film Awards / Winner:
Best Supporting Actress: Aranmula Ponnamma, Silver Lotus Award
1997 Bombay International Film Festival / Winner: FIPRESCI Prize
"… brilliantly constructed… its formal grace and sure command betoken a world-class director" Derek Malcolm, The Guardian
"(The film) bears the unmistakable stamp of a consummate artiste at the very peak of his creative prowess"
Saibal Chatterjee, Outlook
"The film is so intimate in feeling… very personal and yet also political… these elements balanced with enormous skill" Donald Richie
"A tale told with the magical simplicity that only masters are capable of" Subhra Gupta, Sunday