I'm sure the ghost of Satyajit Ray is looking down from whatever heaven he is in and smiling since his legacy is alive and well here on Earth. "C/o Kancharapalem" is a film Ray could have made in the blink of an eye. By that I mean it oozes Ray's humanity as well as a great deal of the skill he brought to everyone of his projects. Using non-professional actors Venkatesh Maha's marvellous film spins four separate love stories through four different generations in the Indian village of Kancharapalem and it's a charming and heart-breaking film, funny and touching in equal measure. It's also remarkably frank in its portrayal of the way in which women are treated in Indian society.
If the performances don't always hit the mark remember that few of these people are professional actors and yet they handle the intricacies of Maha's multi-layered script with considerable aplomb. It also eschews Bollywood gloss for a much rawer, more naturalistic, feel and is a very hard film to dislike. This is an intimate epic that unfolds like a great novel and confirms its writer and director as a major player. It's also got one of the best codas I've seen in a movie in years.
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