Parents are often seen by children as providers and nothing more. This is true for many adults too. We are not able to think of parents as people who had their own dreams, likes and dislikes, and more importantly a childhood. Wouldn’t it be a jolly good idea to drop into the past and watch your dad or mom as a growing child? Perhaps we will be kinder to them in the present.
That is what teenager Appu experiences, thanks to his grandpa’s magic album in the attic. He travels back in time.
A film that captures changing values and lifestyles in a short span of 40 years, that is, Achappa’s Album, an NFDC production directed by Deepti Pillay Sivan.
A Son Steps Into His Father’s Childhood
Woven around a fantasy where father and son, both at age 14, swap homes across time, it gives the viewer a quick snapshot of change. From large family gatherings in the sprawling ‘tharavad’ (ancestral home, and this one belonging to Shashi Tharoor) to nuclear homes where each member meets the other for a few hours, the film holds a mirror to society back then and now. Without being preachy, it swings easily to and fro as it captures the predicaments of son and father in what seems alienscape to both!
Life back then was simple with children actually playing in the lap of nature, replete with games and fights and fun times. Back to the future and you have everyone on deadlines, homes glitzy and streets paved. Open spaces at a premium, children spend time playing wargames on video, their calls to ‘kill’ in sharp contrast to the past where revenge often meant being tied to a tree and beaten by the opponent! Needs were few as realised by Appu who sees two sets of clothes in his father’s wardrobe back then, as against his present one packed to the hilt!
Then vs Now, With A Subtle Message On Parenting
But sure enough as the duo show, there are good things in the present too. For one, women are treated well compared to the past. But overall the future loses to the past in terms of lives lived in stress, where a person who once was considered fun and accomplished seems to have turned into a bore! Double income couples spend more time bickering due to stress, with each pointing fingers at each other for their offspring’s misdeeds! Familiar?
But what perhaps is one message that stands out, even if not emphasised enough is the need for parents to be friends with their children. AA indirectly calls for a change in parenting from the yesteryear strict standards to a more accepting one.
A few scenes stand out, especially those where the present day Appu goes to the past and can’t take his eyes off his pretty mom, a sweet little kid who trails him and awaits his acknowledgement. He also manages to warn off dad’s competitor for his mom’s affection!
Packed with More Punches
The film also points to how we have retained a few aspects of our cultures without truly assimilating the essence. Sometimes it seems unavoidable given that operating conditions of lives have changed, with time a casualty.
Somehow one is left feeling the film could have packed a few more punches to convey the message. Instead it feels diluted and in a hurry to gloss over what it says. Perhaps it was intentional to avoid making it too serious. Some scenes could have been edited or done away with, like the stereotype chase along the street or the school fight scene. Overall, the direction is good.
Starring in this simple yet thought provoking film in the main roles are Siddhanshu, the director’s son and Aadinath Kothare and Priyanka Nair. The winsome boy does well in his debut, switching easily between the two roles. Guest appearances by Mohan Agashe and Johnny Antony add their flavour as also do the rest of the cast in their roles. It is heartening to see how actors are crossing over regional boundaries. Agashe has had an earlier stint in a Malayalam movie but for Kothare this is perhaps a first and he belies the fact that he is not a native.
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