Artist (film)

Artist is a 2013 Indian Malayalam-language drama film written and directed by Shyamaprasad. An adaptation of Dreams in Prussian Blue, a paperback novel by Paritosh Uttam, the film is about two fine arts students, both driven by individual ambitions, who decide to live together. The film traces the course of their relationship and their progression as artists.

Artist
Film poster
Directed byShyamaprasad
Written byShyamaprasad
Based onDreams in Prussian Blue
by Paritosh Uttam
Produced byM. Mani
Starring
CinematographyShamdat Sainudeen
Edited byVinod Sukumaran
Music byBijibal
Production
company
Sunitha Productions
Distributed bySunitha Productions
Release date
  • 30 August 2013 (2013-08-30)
CountryIndia
LanguageMalayalam

The film features Fahadh Faasil playing Michael and Ann Augustine as Gayathri.[1] The supporting cast includes Sreeram Ramachandran (of the sitcom Chumma on Amrita TV), Sidhartha Siva, Srinda Ashab (Annayum Rasoolum-fame), Krishnachandran and Vanitha along with a host of newcomers.

The film was produced by M. Mani under his banner, Sunitha Productions. The music was composed by Bijibal the editing is by Vinod Sukumaran.[2] The film won three major awards at the Kerala State Film Awards: Best Director, Best Actress (Ann Augustine) and Best Actor (Fahadh Faasil).

Plot

Artist traces the journey of two artists — Michael Agnelo, son of a Goan businessman, and Gayatri, who hails from a conservative Brahmin family. Gayatri shocks her parents by choosing to study Arts in college, then decides to drop out of college and start living with Michael, an eccentric genius with a promising career. Their new life together does not eradicate her isolation, and as Michael wraps further layers of self-centeredness around the cocoon that he has built for himself, Gayatri looks around for ways to keep her passion for him intact. Gayathri is barely out of her teens when she starts working to support her partner even though she does not get even emotional support from him. Her woes increase when Michael loses his eyesight in a road accident. The challenges of the ungrateful Michael who struggles to transform his artistry on the canvas and how the youngsters tackle egoism, selfishness and their artistic demands form the crux of the story.

Cast

Production

Novel

Artist is an adaptation of the English novel Dreams in Prussian Blue by Paritosh Uttam, a techie-turned-writer who was born in Thiruvananthapuram to UP parents. Paritosh is a graduate from IIT Madras, and has a full-time job as a software professional, based in Pune. Dreams In Prussian Blue was published in 2010. Paritosh Uttam says, "A few months after its release Shyamaprasad contacted me through my website and said that he had read it and had liked it because the themes it dealt with vibed with his thoughts. He said he would like to make a film based on it. I found out that Shyamaprasad is an acclaimed director and was glad to say yes. We talked over email and phone about how to take this forward. The novel is my work but its adaptation to the screen is fully Shyamaprasad's".[3] Shyamaprasad says that transforming this story narrated in words onto the visual medium was certainly a challenge. The film is set in Kerala in 2013, unlike the book, which had its backdrop in Mumbai in 2010.[4]

Filming

The film's shooting commenced in February 2013.[5] It was shot completely in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, with several scenes set in the College of Fine Arts in the city.[6] Like Shyamaprasad's previous film English: An Autumn in London, Artist was also shot in sync sound. Sohail Sanwari was the sound designer and Shamdat the cinematographer of the film.[7]

Reception

The film received critical acclaim. Aswin J. Kumar of The Times of India said, "Artist is a well-assembled film, beautifully crafted and portrayed by a stunning cast."[8] Paresh C. Palicha of Rediff.com stated that the film "keeps the viewer intrigued and involved till the very end". He rated the film 3/5 and regarded it as one of Shyamaprasad's best works till date.[9] Veeyen of Nowrunning.com rated the film 3/5 and said, "The soul stifling experience that Shyamaprasad's 'Artist' is, leads us on to a world of paints and easels, palettes and pastels, where ingenuity and inventiveness flow on, in strokes and flourishes from the tip of a brush. The painterly detail that the director has on offer for us in 'Artist' , makes it a visually sumptuous film that engrosses us with its enchanting tale."[10]

Awards
Kerala State Film Awards
Filmfare Awards South

References
  1. P. Anima (6 September 2013). "Being an artist". The Hindu. Kozhikode: Thehindu.com. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  2. Asha Prakash (6 September 2013). "Music Review: Artist". The Times of India. Indiatimes.com. Archived from the original on 14 September 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  3. Pramod Thomas (3 September 2013). "The man behind artist". The New Indian Express. Kochi: Newindianexpress.com. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  4. Mythily Ramachandran (5 September 2013). "Shyamaprasad is back with 'Artist'". Gulf News. Dubai: Gulfnews.com. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  5. Parvathy S Nayar (20 February 2013). "Shyamaprasad begins filming Artist". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 23 November 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  6. Saraswathy Nagarajan (29 August 2013). "Artistic blues". The Hindu. Thiruvananthapuram: Thehindu.com. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  7. Athira M. (28 March 2013). "Art of romance". The Hindu. Thiruvananthapuram: Thehindu.com. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  8. Aswin J. Kumar (2 September 2013). "Artist". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 15 October 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  9. Paresh C. Palicha (2 September 2013). "Review: Malayalam movie Artist is worth a watch". Rediff.com. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  10. Veeyen (5 September 2013). "Artist Review". Nowrunning.com. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
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