Revisiting the Indian cinematic scenario, a scenario suffering from the incredible absence of the term “auteur”, the name John Abraham figures as an essential avant garde filmmaker. The reclusive, mystical John Abraham exemplifies the current state of Indian cinema; coming so close to brilliance and then fading into obscurity and sheer rottenness. Just four films to his credit, his works stand among those rare specimens of individualistic and universal film making from India. John Abraham had the vision that films can be a medium of social change and he proved so effectively, consolidating his place as the most definite auteur in realizing the cinematic medium in India.
John Abraham could never leave a formidable cult behind him because of his untimely death, and his cinema, because he made cinema not film, and ideologies have slowly reached a remote obscurity. He never reached the point of glory that he deserved. He was a personality we could have looked forward to take up the position of the commander of film making in India. His untimely departure not only affected the future of Indian cinema but also affected further wider study and discussion and preservation of his own films. Ironically, his name was the subject of ridicule and dismissal in Kerala during his lifetime.
John was ostensibly a part of the golden generation of FTII, which under the aegis of Ritwik Ghatak, influenced a new, more mature generation of filmmakers that it led to a sudden growth of film making ideals in India. While most of these prodigies of Ghatak earned themselves a platform with their styles carrying clear influence of the Ghatak style of filmmaking, which in turn resembled the soviet montage school, John found his own style of filmmaking which was a hybrid of the Ghatak-montage trope and the anti-montage Tarkovsky-ian aesthetics.
He had a unique style of narrating a film that was both satirical and dried with all inhabitations of conventional Indian cinema, creating a hard hitting impact on the viewer. The dry humour that was placed in his narrative made the films more engaging and more lucid to grasp. His films were laid with the ideals of national identity and questioned the social, political working of the society.
Shatru's thoughts -
John Abraham was able to make films that stood apart during his times and his films still remain as the only ones of that caliber. Watched only two of his movies, Amma Ariyan and Agraharathil Kazhuthai, his film making style was so influential to me. Comparing to his counterparts during this time, his films dealt with more political issues and provides his own political agendas. For me, his characters were livelier and delivered dialogues naturally. His use of dry dark humor, voice-overs, extensive use of dialogues (compared to his counterparts), close-ups, poetic shades in-between and characters of rebellious nature polished his films to a greater level of understanding and engaging of the audience.
I would say he is the most successful auteur in Indian film history in realizing the medium of cinema and the greatest Malayalam film maker.
Enne Shatru...
Important Movies
Vidyarthikale Ithile Ithile (1972) (Wiki Link) **
(This Way, Students)
Agraharathil Kazhuthai (1977)(tamil) (Wiki Link) **
(Donkey in the Elite Colony)
Cheriachante Krurakrithyangal(1979) (Wiki Link) **
(Cruelties of Cheriyachan)
Amma Ariyan(1986) (Wiki Link) **
(Report to Mother)
Videos:
[**- must watch
* - really good]
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