WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
Survival and the fortitude to prevail. Even in the most basic aspects of this journey we call life, it truly is a battle for continuance. No matter what task we put our efforts into, it requires the respect and knowhow to discover the most effective, efficient, and constructive means to achieve the end goals, and the confidence we have in ourselves and our place in the circle of life assuredly plays a part in this. However, can it also become a necessary warning as well that sometimes, it could be this confidence that becomes our most formidable adversary.
For a film location scout (Sachin Vijayapuram), it is a time for efforts to be made as the project he’s a part of has been greenlit for production. As he heads out of Bengaluru and into the backcountry to research and photograph potential sites, it manifests into an individual as well as grander path that will illustrate both inward searching and appreciation of the surroundings he encounters and the overtly unpredictable, precarious nature of the world at large.
Next, my Mind:
Billed as a “silent” short film, it might be more apropos to specify that we are watching a dialogue-free effort that deftly utilizes its smoothly shot and gorgeously impactful imagery paired with the sounds of nature in particular to allow the needed emphasis to be placed on what out eyes take in, and hence allows a most definitively less than silent viewing experience, especially when listening through headphones. This at least is how this critic chooses to define the newest effort from Sagar Puranik‘s Puranik Productions which heralds the debut accomplishment for writer/director Sachin Vijayapuram and finds us on an odyssey that showcases the will of man, our passion for what we love, the striving for capturing perfect moments, finding refreshed cherishing of the realms of reality we inhabit, the valuing of human connection, understanding our means to endure, the results of preparedness, but also the dangers of having to face that our perceived dominance of this sphere we abide within doesn’t always hold up to greater, and inevitable destiny.
That might sound quite existential or philosophical in what this critic felt were the thematic explorations being presented above, but I don’t feel it’s an exaggeration to hone in on the fact that the non-verbal narrative conveyed speaks deeply and resolutely about our need for adventure, our proclivity for curiosity, and even our determination to push into territory that we want to control or mold into that which will serve us when actuality would dictate there are times where the “wilds” (in whatever forms that might be exhibited) have ways to show how our overconfidence can be our undoing if we’re not respectful of it to the extent we should be. This is all delivered through this very foundationally uncomplicated portrait of one man on a quest that turns into something far more profound than the job he is doing entails, even as his own travels are, unknowingly to him, leading him inexorably towards the hands of possible end, an inescapable circle.
When we currently see the status of our cultures as well as the overall social and political conditions that exist, so filled with hate, anger, prejudice and the like, I felt this film provided both a portrait of the sheer beauty of what we have been given, to listen, observe, take in the diversity of it all, experiencing the aforementioned spirit and desire for adventure. But, again, with the decidedly potent and evocative finale the film offers up, imparting a keenly crafted meaning to the film’s title, this could likewise be seen as a cautionary tale of human recklessness or if not that, just our penchant to be distracted from what we should be paying more heed to, perhaps. Again, this is all truly open to a myriad of interpretations in this critic’s opinion, and that is the cornerstone magnificence of indie/experimental cinema. As hinted above, the imagery here is just so perfectly executed to strike the viewer and lead us through the narrative to the point where dialogue isn’t remotely missed, the pictures utterly worth a thousand words thanks to fantastic cinematography.
Also, the employment of various styles of highly atmospheric music, even more specifically instrumentation, beautifully adds an ever-shifting ambiance to the events being depicted while the natural emanations of, well, nature are so wonderfully deployed here as well, and as communicated earlier, it really is a more enriching watch to take the film in wearing headphones, as it creates a much more tangibly immersive screening option. Stepping out from behind the camera, Vijayapuram does an equally excellent job in front of it in his portrayal of the location scout the narrative centers on, a man of prolific knowledge, a gatherer of information, and a seeker of notable places as his employer would expect and his associated career dictates. As he ventures out from his city home in Bengaluru into the southwest regions his ideas take him to, it seems as much an expedition of necessity as it is also a personal pilgrimage, and watching his reactions to all that he surveys while collecting locations to document for the film he’s part of is quite stirring.
We can tell it is more than just a job for him to do what he loves, as his acknowledgement, respect, and in some cases reliance on all that’s around him shines forth as he encounters all the places and people he does along the way. Where this will end up leading him is what may or may not cause much of his fearlessness to be tested, and whether this is good or bad is what’s determined. Throughout the film, Vijayapuram plays it very understated, intentionally so, as it just adds to the realism of what we’re seeing, and makes the character one we can relate to when applying his sojourn to our own daily life in many respects. It’s a subtle but wholly meaningful performance, with Vijayapuram’s use of facial expression and body language fully carrying the story forward with no words intelligently and with superb impact. Supporting appearances are made here by Murugesh, Swamy, Manju, Srinivas, and Jayaram.
So, in total, “Chakravyuha” is a smartly executed piece of experimental short film magic, made by a filmmaker who isn’t afraid to defy normal conventions of the art form in order to more purposefully and with absolute, dynamic skill compel our minds to look inwardly and the very nature of being human, the characteristics that it entails, the choices we make that instill us with the inclinations to escape the mundane, and to drink in the wonder of the world with more open souls and hearts. But, may we always choose to do this with total regard and deference to that “inescapable circle” we’re all ultimately orbiting around, for to ignore or otherwise discount it could lead down far less glorious paths.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
