Parrot
The film was shot in England for a project in Literature, the Digital and Creative Industries, as part of my course in Royal Holloway University of London.
Parrot / 10mins 57sec / colour / English & Tamil
Summary
In RK Narayan's short story An Astrologer Day, the astrologer sees a man at twilight when he is about to leave his stall, and challenges him that he can predict his future. When the man agrees, the astrologer begins with his usual conning statements. The man becomes furious and demands to know his real future. He lights a cigarette and the astrologer discovers from the light of his matches that it is Guru Nayak, a man he had believed to have murdered when he was young. Guru is in search of vengeance and doesn't recognize the astrologer in the lowlight. The astrologer makes up a story of the his own death and diverts Guru in the opposite direction. He returns home to his wife and reveals his relief over knowing that he wasn't a murderer after all.
In Parrot, I have introduced Guru Nayak as a villain who plans to kill the astrologer. He uses a messenger to discover his whereabouts. The messenger, however, betrays Guru when he informs the astrologer of Guru's ploy. The astrologer then prepares to leave his village. His wife has a significant dialogue, unlike the story, as she expresses her unwillingness to leave.
The film responds to the assignment task to explore the aspects of digital media that make a piece of literature interesting. In Parrot, dramatic dialogue, tinted footage, background voices, music, cinematography, and importantly, the revamped plot are what make it a fascinating adaptation to watch.
