Set in Brickfields, a township in the capital of Malaysia, Chalanggai (Dancing Bells) is about Uma an eleven-year-old schoolgirl who aspires to be a dancer. Uma lives with her mom and brother in a soon to be demolished neighborhood secluded in the backyards of the rapidly developing township.
The occupants of the town are strictly addicted to a daily routine. Another common routine addict, Uma's mother, Muniammah owns a small make shift stall selling jasmine flower garlands to support her family needs. Raja, Uma's father neglected the family after severe disagreements with Muniammah. Since his absence, Muniammah has been single handedly caring for her children's needs. Every now and then, she accepts small contributions from her son, Siva. Siva, a seventeen-year-old school drop out works as a car wash attendant. Muniammah fears Siva would end up like his father, Raja. The demanding city life and the lost of a father figure affect the family deeply. This gives constant pressure to Siva as he turns to secretly hate his father even more.
The estranged Raja regrets his past and attempts to return home. The family is torn between emotions, as they feel even more vulnerable. A string of mishaps fall upon the family and they are forced to confront the many realities that lay ahead of them. Muniammah turns to her flower knitting routines to hide her feelings. Siva shoulders his burden in silence to deal with his lost. As for Uma, she dreams of pursuing her interest in dance.
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2 comments to "Chalanggai The Dancing Bells"
tulipspeaks says:
did u like the movie?
ammu.
puvanan says:
Hmm..yup, I like it. I feel it is not bad for a Malaysian movie! It is an example to explain us that the local Tamil movie industry is getting better and improving well. But, if you were to enter the cinema with a very big hope, then u might get disappointed. In overall, it is a good piece of work with a simple and nice storyline. Some of the scenes were filmed in a way where the audiences have to figure out what would have happened previously. That was a good technique applied in the movie by the director, Deepak Menon Besides that, I was also impressed by the main character of the movie, Uma. Darshini as Uma has acted very well throughout the movie. :)