Frankly, I missed seeing "Subramaniapuram", a film that was hailed as a landmark not just for the Tamil industry but a wake-up call for south Indian cinema overall - the kind of siren call that Malayalam films of the 1980s regularly sounded, but in those days no one listened. But, this column is not about that film, but one of its actors who has left an indelible impression on our minds.
Among the secondary material I gathered about "Subramaniapuram" was that it was ground-breaking for a Tamil industry used to watching superstar-driven themes. There was also much discussion about the violence portrayed in the film that focused on caste conflicts in Madurai.
But, for all those who, like me, missed seeing "Subraimaniapuram", it is unlikely that we would savouring that delectable song "Kangal Irandal" scored by James Vasanthan for that film. This song was my first experience of Swati Reddy!
Even as one immersed in the Reetigowlai ragam, which drives the song, one couldn't help wondering who this petite girl with pretty eyes and coy smile was.
Swati made wait almost five years to arrive at a more considered opinion about her skills. That was when she was cast as an upper cast Christian girl Shoshanna in Lijo Pellissery's "Amen". Such was the credibility and sense of exuberance she lent to the character "Shoshanna" that will probably rule our consciousness for years to come.
Only a true talent like Swati could, in spite of being an outsider to Kerala's culture, or for that fact, to the intricacies of mid-Travancore Christians, absorb and convey the quintessence of her role as Shoshanna. And, that she held her ground opposite the phenomenal actor Fahad Fazil is indeed a litmus test of her screen presence and acting skills.
In "Amen" - that also featured a wonderful performance by Indrajith as an iconoclastic pastor - Swati gave us enduring images of a strong-willed Christian girl who will shatter glassware or even a hired goon's head with a saucepan to stand up for her love.
Swati began her film career as a voice artist, even rendering a couple of songs to projects like "Unbeleivable" (2011). She was the dubbed voice of Illeana D'cruz in the 2008 film "Jaisa".
Before she came to be tagged "Swati of Subramaniapuram" fame, she was referred to as "Colours" Swati because of her association with an eponymous programme on Maa Telugu television.
Wikipedia says, that Swati was born in Vladivostok, former Soviet Union. A Russian doctor would name her "Svetelana" (beautiful baby) before her Mother named her "Swati". Her father, an Indian Navy officer, was serving there, later, the family moved to Vishakhapatnam.
Among the secondary material I gathered about "Subramaniapuram" was that it was ground-breaking for a Tamil industry used to watching superstar-driven themes. There was also much discussion about the violence portrayed in the film that focused on caste conflicts in Madurai.
But, for all those who, like me, missed seeing "Subraimaniapuram", it is unlikely that we would savouring that delectable song "Kangal Irandal" scored by James Vasanthan for that film. This song was my first experience of Swati Reddy!
Even as one immersed in the Reetigowlai ragam, which drives the song, one couldn't help wondering who this petite girl with pretty eyes and coy smile was.
Swati made wait almost five years to arrive at a more considered opinion about her skills. That was when she was cast as an upper cast Christian girl Shoshanna in Lijo Pellissery's "Amen". Such was the credibility and sense of exuberance she lent to the character "Shoshanna" that will probably rule our consciousness for years to come.
Only a true talent like Swati could, in spite of being an outsider to Kerala's culture, or for that fact, to the intricacies of mid-Travancore Christians, absorb and convey the quintessence of her role as Shoshanna. And, that she held her ground opposite the phenomenal actor Fahad Fazil is indeed a litmus test of her screen presence and acting skills.
In "Amen" - that also featured a wonderful performance by Indrajith as an iconoclastic pastor - Swati gave us enduring images of a strong-willed Christian girl who will shatter glassware or even a hired goon's head with a saucepan to stand up for her love.
Swati began her film career as a voice artist, even rendering a couple of songs to projects like "Unbeleivable" (2011). She was the dubbed voice of Illeana D'cruz in the 2008 film "Jaisa".
Before she came to be tagged "Swati of Subramaniapuram" fame, she was referred to as "Colours" Swati because of her association with an eponymous programme on Maa Telugu television.
Wikipedia says, that Swati was born in Vladivostok, former Soviet Union. A Russian doctor would name her "Svetelana" (beautiful baby) before her Mother named her "Swati". Her father, an Indian Navy officer, was serving there, later, the family moved to Vishakhapatnam.
