https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=ChalanggaiChalanggai - Revision history2026-10-30T06:32:42ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chalanggai&diff=493194&oldid=prevBrianSop: Added post - done2026-04-12T01:08:52Z<p>Added post - done</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{short description|Malaysian Tamil-language family drama film}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}}<br />
{{Infobox film<br />
| name = Chalanggai<br />
| image = Chalanggai.jpg<br />
| alt = <br />
| caption = Theatrical release poster<br />
| native_name = <!-- {{Infobox name module|language|title}} or {{Infobox name module|title}} --><br />
| director = Deepak Kumaran Menon<br />
| writer = <br />
| screenplay = [[Vimala Perumal]]<br />Deepak Kumaran Menon<br />Sooria Kumari<br />
| story = <br />
| based_on = <!-- {{Based on|title of the original work|creator of the original work|additional creator(s), if necessary}} --><br />
| producer = Vimala Perumal<br />
| starring = Dhaarshini Sankran <br />Ramesh Kumar <br />Kalpana Sundraju<br />Shangkara <br />
| narrator = <br />
| cinematography = Albert Hue<br />
| editing = Deepak Kumaran Menon<br />
| music = Hardesh Singh<br />
| studio = One Hundred Eye<br />MyFoto Studio<br />
| distributor = <br />
| released = {{Film date|2007|02|03|[[International Film Festival Rotterdam|Rotterdam]]|2007|07||Theatrical|df=y}}<br />
| runtime = 98 minutes<br />
| country = Malaysia<br />
| language = Tamil<br />Malay<br />Mandarin<br />English<br />
| budget = <br />
| gross = <br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''''Chalanggai''''' (''[[Ghungroo|Dancing Bells]]'') is a 2007 Malaysian Tamil-language [[family drama film]] directed by Deepak Kumar Menon, who co-wrote the film alongside producer [[Vimala Perumal]] and Sooria Kumari. The film stars Dhaarshini Sankran, Ramesh Kumar, Kalpana Sundraju and Shangkara.<br />
<br />
The film had a limited release in Malaysia and was screened in various film festivals worldwide.<br />
<br />
==Plot==<br />
Set in [[Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur]], the film follows an Indian family after father Raja leaves his family leaving mother Muniammah to support her two kids with her flower stall. Her 11-year-old daughter Uma has aspirations to become a dancer despite her mother's inhibitions. She also has a son Siva who washes car as a living and has materialistic aspirations.<ref name="R">{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyle/filmmaker-wants-good-guy-malaysia-indians-on-screen-idUSKLR31861/|title=Filmmaker wants "good guy" Malaysia Indians on screen|work=[[Reuters]]|first=Jalil|last=Hamad|date=13 December 2007|location=Kuala Lumpur|access-date=21 January 2025}}</ref><ref name="V"/><br />
<br />
==Cast==<br />
{{cast listing|<br />
*Dhaarshini Sankran as Uma <br />
*Ramesh Kumar as Siva<br />
*Kalpana Sundraju as Muniammah <br />
*Bala Sundram @ Roy as Kali <br />
*Shangkara as Raja<br />
*Ramli Ibrahim<br />
*Gandhi Nathan<br />
*Amir Muhammad<br />
* Suganthan Periasamy<br />
*Bosco Raju<br />
*Sooria Kumari<br />
*Lim Eng Beng<br />
*Devamalar Kathan<br />
}}<br />
<br />
== Production ==<br />
Deepak Kumar Menon based the film on real life happenings in his life such as losing friends due to accidents, alcohol, suicides or murders. The film was partly funded through the [[National Geographic]] through their Seed Grant.<ref name="R"/><ref name="Trailer">{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Isx1sKwPoc8|title=CHALANGGAI (Dancing Bells) Cinema Trailer|date=May 25, 2007|via=YouTube|access-date=21 January 2025}}</ref><br />
<br />
== Reception ==<br />
Reviewing the film at the [[International Film Festival Rotterdam]], Jay Weissburg of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' wrote, "Current pic[ture] uses the aspirations of a young girl from a broken home to comment on minorities coping with urban marginalization, but Menon’s approach is far from polemical, and his narrative skills often too piecemeal to create a lasting impression. “''Dancing Bells''” sounds a pleasant but weak note for Malaysian cinema, likely to capture local attention but only intermittent fest play".<ref name="V">{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2007/film/reviews/dancing-bells-1200509802/|title=Dancing Bells|first=Jay|last=Weissberg|date=March 9, 2007|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|access-date=21 January 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cj.my/139863/deepak-kumaran-menon-visionary-filmmaker-cultural-pioneer/|title=Deepak Kumaran Menon: Visionary filmmaker, cultural pioneer |work= Citizens Journal|date=January 14, 2024|access-date=21 January 2025}}</ref> GjZ, reviewing the film at the same film festival wrote, "Menon draws a beautifully realistic and detailed portrait of a family that has to survive and above all has to maintain its dignity. [...] This makes ''Dancing Bells'' not only authentic, but also emotional. These are real feelings of real people portrayed in a realistic way".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://iffr.com/en/iffr/2007/films/dancing-bells|title=Dancing Bells|date=2007|work=[[International Film Festival Rotterdam|IFFR]]|author=GjZ|access-date=21 January 2025}}</ref><br />
<br />
Netherlands-based film curator Gertjan Zuilhof wrote that the film is a "[b]eautiful artistic portrait of a family that has to survive and above all maintain its dignity".<ref name="Trailer"/> Hong Kong-based film curator Jacob Wong wrote that the film is a "[n]aturalistic feature [that] reveals a minority under stress in the shadows of a developing Malaysia".<ref name="Trailer"/><br />
<br />
==Accolades and selections==<br />
===Accolades===<br />
*20th [[Malaysia Film Festival]] - Best Digital Film<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wd21AQAAQBAJ&dq=Chalanggai&pg=PA162|title=Crossover Cinema|page=162|last1=Raj|first1=Sony Jalarajan|first2=Rohini|last2=Sreekumar|date=23 October 2013|publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]]|isbn=978-1-136-22176-7 |access-date=24 January 2025}}</ref><br />
*36th [[International Film Festival Rotterdam]] - NETPAC Special Mention<ref name="Awards"/><br />
*[[Tokyo International Film Festival]] - Special Mention<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F9Q1AQAAIAAJ&q=Chalanggai|title=キネマ旬報|trans-title=Kinema Junpo|language=ja|date= February 2008|publisher=Nippon Eiga Publishing Company|access-date=24 January 2025}}</ref><br />
*9th [[Osian's Cinefan Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema]] - NETPAC Best Film<ref name="Awards"/><br />
<br />
===Selections===<br />
The film was screened at various film festivals in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas.<ref name="Awards">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=blWeEAAAQBAJ&dq=Chalanggai&pg=PA131|title=Malaysian Cinema in the New Millenium|date=2022|page=131|last=Lee|first=Adrian Yuen Beng|publisher=[[Hong Kong University Press]]|isbn=978-988-8528-52-3 |access-date=24 January 2025}}</ref><br />
*[[Busan International Film Festival]] 2007<ref name="Trailer"/><br />
*5th [[Bangkok International Film Festival]]<ref name="Awards"/><br />
*[[Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival]]<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Cc8qAQAAIAAJ&q=Chalanggai|title=Festival do Rio|language=Portuguese|date=2007|publisher=Rio de Janeiro City Hall|access-date=24 January 2025}}</ref><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
== External links ==<br />
*{{IMDb title|0949869}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:2007 Tamil-language films]]<br />
[[Category:Tamil diaspora in Malaysia]]<br />
[[Category:Tamil-language Malaysian films]]<br />
[[Category:Malaysian drama films]]<br />
[[Category:2007 drama films]]</div>BrianSop