The Telugu movie C/o Kancharapalem written and directed by Venkatesh Maha and produced by Praveena Paruchuri struck me as nothing less than a wonder for me. Set in the backdrop of Kancharapalem, an old suburb of Vishakhapatnam, Venkatesh Maha speaks about the universal theme of love exclusively through the characters of Kancharapalam. Through its raw and gritty depiction, he successfully pulls out a plethora of emotions from the viewer, and ultimately a part of Kancharapalem stays inside us once the film ends. More than a cinematic experience, C/o Kancharapalem is indeed a great romantic experience that proves the centuries-old wisdom, Love is Eternal!
But something that struck me the most was the female characters of this movie and that is what motivated me to write this analysis. While Indian cinema is on the path of a transition with more and more movies coming out to break out from the clichéd male-centric narrative, patriarchal glorification, and conventional social norms, c/o Kancharapalam can definitely be counted as one of the top contributors in the tide of change. Even though confined within a patriarchal environment, we can witness a fire inside every female character of Kancharapalem. Let's take a walk through these characters.
(Spoiler Alert – Please continue reading only if you have watched the movie)
Saleema – A character who touched me the most in the movie and hence I intend to keep her on top. Played by the movie’s producer herself, Praveena Paruchuri sensationally steps into the character of Saleema. It also somewhat reminded me of Dimple in the book Narcopolis written by Jeeth Thayil. (Narcopolis is an exceptional read depicting the 1970s old Bombay and its dark tales). Saleema is a prostitute who often stops by the liquor shop. Goddam (one of our protagonists) develops an infatuation with Saleema who always covers her face with a scarf sparing only her eyes when coming to the liquor shop. Those eyes were more than enough for Goddam to place her inside his heart. Saleema is someone who lives her life on her own terms and someone who has seen the harsh realities of life enough. While prostitution is something that every society (patriarchal society of course) has spitted upon, she is least bothered by what the society thinks and does her job without any shame considering it as is her bread and butter. Saleema is indeed a bold, independent, and strong woman who chooses to live her life in the way she wants despite all the setbacks.
Bhargavi – The first couple of scenes themselves give us a glimpse into her character. Bold, aggressive, and political. But unlike Saleema, Bhargavi is from a privileged background who hasn’t let her family’s orthodox mindset slip into her personal ideology. She is shown as a firm personality who always tries to stand by her decision no matter what.
Radha – The oldest among our female characters. Radha is the newly transferred officer in Raju’s (main protagonist) office. Radha is a widow with a young daughter and someone who always tries to break conventions. This is evident from the scene where she is audacious enough to break classism and force Raju to have lunch with her in spite of her colleagues telling her not to sit with him as he is just an attendee. Radha makes us understand designations and hierarchies are just for professional purposes and should not be mixed with our daily life. She breaks another convention when she decides to marry Raju and start a new life. Indeed love sees no age and should be pursued when it is in our vicinity.
Aditi – Aditi is the daughter of Radha and in her late teens. She identifies herself as a feminist and ultimately proves that it's not just a mere statement of her by standing strongly for her mother when she decides to get married again. Aditi is courageous and a sensible girl who doesn’t let social norms corrupt her developing mind.
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