Subramaniyapuram: The Tamil Film in English Translation

Contents: Preface/M. Sasikumar. Introduction/Anand Pandian. 1. Subramaniyapuram: the screenplay/M. Sasikumar translated by Kausalya Hart, Constantine V. Nakassis and Anand Pandian. 2. Architects of a Cinematic world/Anand Pandian. 3. Realism on and off the screen/Constantine V. Nakassis. 4. A time machine for Tamil Cinema/Baradwaj Rangan. 5. An experiment in publicity/Preminda Jacob. 6. The locality is the real hero of the film: a conversation with M. Sasikumar/Rajan Kuari Krishnan. Subramaniyapuram: cast and crew.

When Subramaniyapuram was released in 2008, it cut through the ostentatious glitz of mainstream Indian cinema like a machete. A tale of friendship, betrayal, love and revenge set in Madurai in the early 1980s, the film pioneered a new, gritty aesthetic in Tamil movies that caught the attention of film lovers around the world. Made on a tiny budget by a first-time director and a cast of newcomers, Subramaniyapuram was a smash hit with audiences all over South India—from the big cities to the villages—and has been cited as a major influence by some of India’s most respected filmmakers.

This edition includes:

A gripping English translation of the screenplay

Galleries of full-colour film stills and posters

Never-before-seen photos from the shooting of the film

Essays by Preminda Jacob, Constantine Nakassis, Anand Pandian, and Baradwaj Rangan on the film’s cinematic context and social impact

A wide-ranging interview with director M. Sasikumar on the process of making the film and its historical and cultural significance