Jayamma Panchayathi - Eedu Kalakshepam

Jayamma Panchayathi 

2022, Telugu 

Vijay Kumar Kalivarapu, Director 

Stars Suma Kanakala, Devi Prasad, Dinesh Kumar Kadambala, Shalini Kondepudi

Mohan's Measure ⭐⭐

Eedu is a Tamil word which means equivalence, implying the equality in Wisdom between Sanskrit and and the Tamil scriptures of the Azhwars. The word has been misinterpreted and secularized in Telugu to describe remittance to debts. 

Indeed, from what is revealed in Jayamma Panchayathi, it is the sole basis of Andhra village society, literally defining friendships and family. X gives Y a gift worth so much for a special occasion, Y must give the equivalent amount at X's special occasions. Failing to do so puts Y in debt, and potential retribution. The movie goes to the level of suggesting that people actually keep notebooks on this. So, when Jayamma is told her husband needs surgery, what better to do than publicly shame her family and friends for the money they owe.  

The first time director doesn't stop here though, as he decides to bring out his diatribe on Brahmins, Christians, superstitions, Ayurveda, and,  yes, even the now trendy Naxals, whether or not they have anything to do with the movie is choppy, heavy handed and undoubtedly over the top. 

But, for me, it serves as a revelation, to a way of seeing life, which on deep levels, continues to impact the lives of immigrants in the USA to this day. 

This also explains my conscious choice to seek another way, which can be described by quoting a another heavy handed movie, which borrows from the Saiva Nayamnars: 

anbE civamAy amarNthiruNthArE