General Information
Completed On: 01 Oct, 2019
Duration: 1 hr 49 min 18 sec
Genres: Feature, Fiction
Language: Malayalam
Country: India
Submitted By: Venu Nair
Festival Rating 8.1
Jalasamadhi deals with a disturbing issue plaguing the contemporary society - treatment of the 'unwanted elders'. It seems that in certain areas of the Kerala-Tamilnadu border (south India) there is still a practice of eliminating such elders as a secret ‘ritual’. Jalasamadhi opens with the murder of Muthu, a friend of Muniswami the protagonist, to protect his son’s vested interest in getting his father’s job in the pretext of this age-old ‘ritual’ or killing.
Munuswami undergoes tremendous mental stress, as he is worried that the same fate would befall him too. When Munuswami’s family and their friends try to sacrifice his life at the altar of this 'ritual' of Jalasamadhi, the youngsters fiercely oppose it.
The film has so far been selected to 43 international film festivals and has won 41 awards worldwide.
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DirectorsVENU NAIR
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ProducersVENU NAIR
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Film TypeFeature, Fiction
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GenresDRAMA
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Runtime1 hours 49 minutes 18 seconds
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Completion Date01 Oct, 2019
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Production Budget100000 USD
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Country of OriginIndia
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Country of FilmingIndia
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Film LanguageMalayalam
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Shooting FormatDigital
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Aspect Ratio16:9
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Film ColorColor
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Student ProjectNo
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First-time FilmmakerYes
Director's Biography
Venu Nair is an Indian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He was born in Alappuzha district, Kerala, India. He has been active in the television and film industry since 1990 and has done more than 100 works including documentary films, mini-series, and feature films. His films have won 60 odd awards worldwide which include state, national and international accolades.
He has produced and directed his first feature film Death By Water(Jalasamadhi) in the year 2019. The film deals with a disturbing issue plaguing the contemporary society - treatment of the 'unwanted elders'.
Jalasamadhi was selected for more than thirty-six international film festivals around the world.
Director's Statement
Jalasamadhi focusses on the inhuman attitude adopted by the people towards the older generation in general. Respecting one’s elders is a part of Indian culture. However, that is fast changing. One reads about senior citizens being abandoned due to various reasons, especially when the family experiences a financial crunch. This ‘throwaway’ culture is one that is influenced by the rise of consumerism. While watching this film, I wanted the viewer to experience the throwaway culture in human relations that can never bring peace and happiness in lives of people, be it anywhere.