January 22, 2012 Y. Sunitha Chowdhary
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"I got a few awards for my film Ganga, it is my ambition now to receive an award from Pratibha Patil for Veerangam, says director Vemuganti. There is sincerity and earnestness in his voice, he resolved to make a feature film on Joginis when he saw a Shyama Devi's (Jogini) interview on a television channel. He immediately approached a producer and after getting his nod, set out for Shyamala. She agreed to do the film after three months.
Veerangam is the true life story of just not Shyamala Devi but many other Joginis, we have seen one on Sudha Chandran and Ashiwni Nachappa, this one will inspire to fight against the system avers the director.
Joginis are the contemporary Devadasis, they are married to gods and are sexually exploited and discarded by the land lords and the moneyed class in the remote villages. During festivals they carry the decorated pots on their heads called 'bonam' and dance without holding these pots in gay abandon on a decorated rangoli. The passion, the emotion and involvement with which they do this is called Veerangam.
Vemuganti says, "Jogini system is prevalent, in Telangana they are called Joginis, in coastal andhra they are addressed as Matangi and Parvati, in Rayalaseema they are Basvini Teertham, in Tamil Nadu they are Mary Amma and again in north Karnataka they are called Basvini Teertham. They remain unmarried for the rest of their lives."
The director reveals Nirmala Grace from Secunderabad, Ajamma from Mehboobnagar district and Sahaya organisation are rescuing young girls aged 12 and 13 from this custom and are rehabilitating them. The government has put up a one member committee to look into the issue and the survey is on.
He avers, "NTR has banned this duuring his tenure but the system is still on in remote areas in twenty districts. I hope the film brings an awareness amongst people and the government must take strong measures to eradicate this system.
Suman acts as a university professor who does research on the joginis and their lives. He along with Ashish Vidyarthi and Shyama Devi have breathed fire onto the screen. Babu Mohan and Kota Srinivas are teaming again after Bava Bavamaridi to provide some comic relief. We are planning to release the film very soon."
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