Malabar home films, in the path of Iranian films

All these films have been highly popular among the community and also well received in outside the country like Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other European and American countries where Malabar Muslims live as well. Muslim community especially in Malabar region is very familiar with the ‘home films’. The major ‘home film’ makers are from Malappuram and Calicut since Malabar is the most Muslim populated area in Kerala. So the directors please to tell the stories about the Muslim families and their problems, the worse conditions of expatriate Muslims who are working in other countries, the problems their wives face, the life style of that community and forthcoming generation of this community. These films illustrate the dialects and life style practices by the Muslim community. The stereotypical representation of Muslim community in particular by the mainstream film industry as an image of violence attributes them the title “terrorists”. So the ‘home film’ makers take it as a challenge to reconstruct this stereotyping of a community. They try to clarify the audience the doubts and misconceptions regarding this community. Malabar is famous in all over the world because of the tender attitude towards the guest and their way of welcoming guests. ‘Home films’ focuses on these positive attitudes along with warring against the stereotypes.

According to the critics and writers the development of the ‘home films’ is basically from the right of the middle class Malabar Muslims to express themselves. ‘Home film’ concept is developed from the traditional drama and it is happened because of the digital availability and affordability. And this type of films try to tell about the problems and stories related to Malabar. No one has portrayed Malabar as much rather than ‘home film’ makers.

The development of the home films depend on the availability of equipment and media formats (video tape, CDs, DCDs, etc.) affordable to consumers. Development of film formats suitable for ‘home film’ makers has been available from the early history of cinematography. For example, in 1898 the 17.5 mm “Birtac” format was split the standard 35 mm film into two halves and was able to be loaded into the camera in daylight. For many film makers, the cost of film making was initially too high, but they could afford to buy or hire films and watch them at home. In a pre-television era, this was exciting. Edison’s ‘kinetoscope’ and ‘Pathe’ had the same target audience. Film libraries were also established with ‘home films’ in the early 1980’s. According to the historians, the ‘home film’ was introduced by Pathe in 1922. He used 35mm camera. It was for both for viewing commercially produced ‘home film’.

The beginning of ‘home films’in Kerala was in 1995 and Mr. Salaam Kodiathoor and Sidheeq kodiathoor were the pioneers behind this effort. Both sidheeq and salaam are drama actors and directors. Kodiathoor is a place in Malabar region and this small place is familiar to others through the Drama and Villadicham pattu [musical drama]. They did almost 10 to 15 dramas all over the Malabar and around Kerala also in some foreign countries also. After their last drama ‘Ningalenne Branthanakki’, they decided to convert this drama into a film format in the year 2000. Many expatriate malayalies co-operated with this pioneering venture. So the first ‘home film’ was not a film by a single producer or not by a single master brain but it was developed through the hard work of so many natives and expatriate malayalies. This first ‘home film’ was a mega hit in Kerala and in gulf countries too. This film was released in CD/ROM format and it was produced under the banner of ‘Dawn Visual Group’ production.

After 3 years, Salaam kodiyathoor and his crew released their second film ‘Parethan Thirichuvarunnu’ (the man who died returns). The above is about the life of expatriate malayalies and their families. This also became a mega hit and sold out more than ten thousand copies. After the release of their second film, the new trend in film-making got a wide range of audience and it became a big discussion among the mainstream filmmakers and directors. Salaam Kodiathoor and crew did more than 10 movies within 15 years. Many people behind these efforts have their own jobs in govt. sector and in other so that they considered ‘home film’ as an entertaining and not for commercial benefit. Almost 200 films have so far been released all over Kerala. But many of them were not at all familiar. Some of them became hit and some were only average in their performance and lacks well reception. Majority of the films are now produced by gulf malayalies (people from Kerala) and young people who are passionate in film making. The main specialty of the ‘home film’ is that they are well framed with the culture and life style of Malabar people. The language and dressing code and other aspects of Malabar people are, sometimes sarcastically, used with much care and it is the main reason why such films still attract the common people.

Ramis Salam
2nd yr Mass Communication