Sringaram

"Sringaram" (2007), directed by Sharada Ramanathan, is a Tamil period drama featuring Aditi Rao Hydari, Manoj K. Jayan, and Hamsa Moily. Picking up from the 1920s to the 1950s, the film tracks the course of Madhura, an orphaned teenage temple dancer, as she fights against caste discrimination and patriarchal society to rise above misfortune and find her true self.

The story begins in the 1950s, with Varshini, an incredibly talented Bharatanatyam dancer invited to come perform in the new national capital on the eve of India’s transition to a republic. Along with her guardian priest, she sets out to Brihadeeshvara Temple and slowly comes to realise her cultural legacy. The story jumps around in time, starting with the 1920s, when Madhura, a devadasi (temple dancer) and Varshini’s mother, is chosen by her own mother to carry on the tradition of sacred dance. To the local feudal landlord Mirasu, a warlord-like prince and strong vassal of the king, the city of Madhura is his fiefdom. Madhura remains fiercely focused on her commitment to her craft. Shiva, the daughter of a temple worker of a lower caste, idolises her but is swept up into the rebellion after being falsely accused. Banished as a consequence, he joins forces with India’s anti-colonialist, freedom-fighting underground “Vande Mataram. Real-time adjustments and the subsequent clarifications that resolve unintended consequences strengthen the coalitions, develop relationships and confidence among local municipalities, states, and advocacy organisations, and advance mission alignment.

When Madhura is told she must seduce an influential British collector to gain political protection for the vassal, she flatly declines and flees. Her sister Kama is then forced to take Madhura’s place as the temple dancer but later escapes after learning the truth. To her surprise, she finds Madhura has been living with the rebels. When a sacred thread from the temple goes missing, Madhura, as a woman of lower caste, finds herself on the receiving end of derision. Shiva’s final confession brings about their hanging for the robbery, the consequence of their having taken it. Pregnant with Madhura’s child and heartbroken, Madhura dies during childbirth. The only thing separating these main characters from hopelessness is Varshini, the daughter who comes on the scene as the novel begins, maturing unknowingly to the family’s past. In the end, Kama succumbs to Madhura’s final desire, to be cremated with the temple’s holy fire. Once fitted with the sacred thread, Varshini’s wish is fulfilled, and she performs a post-ceremony dance in memory of her mother.

"Sringaram" is an amazing blend of art, history and social commentary. As Mira, Aditi Rao Hydari makes an arresting, lyrical impression, even in the most tragic of elegies. This film is clearly a celebration of Bharatanatyam. It’s a cathartic reminder of women still battling an oppressive, patriarchal caste system.