The title credits roll against the backdrop of drawings (by artist and production designer Laxman Aelay) to melodious tunes composed by Mark K Robin. Balu Sandilyasa’s camera lovingly moves through the colourful yarns, and designs drawn on graph paper, before they come alive on the pit loom of ikat weavers. Mallesham nudges its viewers into a zone that’s rarely explored in Telugu cinema — the handloom clusters in Pochampally.
This biopic of Padma Shri awardee Chintakindi Mallesham is essentially a tale of a man going to great lengths to ease the pain of his mother, and several other women like her. The mother, Lakshmi (Jhansi), runs the home and something more — winds threads over a four-foot, v-shaped ‘asu’ continuously. It’s a thankless pre-loom step, before her husband Narasimhulu (Ananda Chakrapani) can use the weft and warp and give life to ikat fabric on his loom.
We see Lakshmi humming a song as she goes about the process, occasionally pausing to rub her shoulder. The school-going Mallesham watches this and tells her that when he grows up, he will ensure she has a better life. Lakshmi smiles, but doesn’t read much into it.
Gradually, we’re shown the many things that constitute the way of life for weavers. Director Raj Rachakonda, who shares the writing credits with Peddinti Ashok Kumar, begins his story in the 80s. In the opening scene, a weaver buys Gold Spot, reminiscent of the era. As the story progresses, the different Chiranjeevi blockbusters and the local festivals become the markers of time.
The childhood episodes pack in fun while outlining socio-economic divisions. Mallesham has borrowed nine drops of ink from his well-to-do classmate Veera Pratap and is indebted. In later years, he will have debts all around the village.
- Cast: Priyadarshi, Ananya, Jhansi, Ananda Chakrapani
- Direction: Raj Rachakonda
- Music: Mark K Robin
A grown up Mallesham (Priyadarshi) is fondly called ‘engineer’ by his friends. A school dropout, he has a way with machines and taught himself certain techniques. He experiments with a radio, a ceiling fan... There’s a hilarious episode involving the ceiling fan and Gangavva (of My Village Show on YouTube).
As Mallesham watches his mother’s shoulder pain worsen, his yearning to build a machine turns into an obsession. I was reminded of PadMan . Both men are driven by the possibility of a better future for the women in their lives.
The portrayal of Mallesham’s bond with his wife Padma (newcomer Ananya) is as heart-warming as that with his mother. The father’s opposition to the machine stems from helplessness, knowing that the family doesn’t have the resources to back what seems like a pipe dream. The run-ins are portrayed without making him look like a demon.
Talking of machines, pay attention to the several Eureka moments that come from observing the mechanisms of daily objects.
While the narration is soaked in native fervour, the dialect takes a little getting used to, initially. We don’t usually hear terms like control biyyam (ration rice) in cinema. The setting is raw and real, making us feel as though we’ve been transported to rural Telangana, observing things as they unfold. The use of sync sound further accentuates the realistic tone.
In just over two hours, Mallesham highlights the plight of women in the handloom belt. Weaver suicides are discussed. It could have easily become a weepy tale, but the film underlines the need for hope even in the darkest hour.
The final moment of triumph is moving as well as fun, thanks to Gangavva. Mallesham’ s lifeline is Priyadarshi who shows us what a fine actor he is. He’s proved earlier that he’s much more than a comic actor, but this film is a definite affirmation of his potential. Be it the embarrassment he portrays while dressed as a woman during Peerla Panduga or the sheer helplessness as he struggles to build the machine, he owns every moment.
Ananya brings in the innocence required for her part and makes a promising debut. Jhansi’s is an affecting performance; she has to portray pain while at the same time depicting a woman who goes about her tasks unmindful of it all. She does it well.
After a spate of political biopics early this year, this is a refreshing one.
