The Jewel of the Human Spirit Vishwanath is one of the most famous directors in Tollywood, the regional Indian cinema of Andhra Pradesh in Hyderabad. Most of his films have a special relationship to Indian folk music. The melody he not only sounds from the screen, but creates a special lyrical mood and characterizes the main characters, many of whom are singers or skilled dancers. All Vishwanatha films are stories about love, whether happy or deeply unhappy, arising in the conditions of the difficult path of the heroes, their struggle with themselves, social evil, human callousness and indifference to the problems of their neighbor. Morality and poetry in them go side by side, sometimes closely intertwining and spiritualizing each other. "Pearls" - one of the best films of Vishwanath - ideologically very similar to the famous Oscar-winning "Forest Gump". Both tell the story of a feeble-minded perfectly harmless man with a noble open heart and his extraordinary life. However, the Indian hero Shivaya in material and status terms is much less fortunate. He was neither a war hero nor a successful businessman. But he's happier in love. The problems and social evil that the Teluga boy has to overcome are of a completely different nature and are completely devoid of Forestgampian pathosity. This was the reason for numerous unkind chuckles on the part of the soldiers against the Americans and accusations of plagiarism of the plan. The fact that “Pearls” was officially announced from India as a contender for the Oscar for best foreign film, and a year after this event came the novel by Winston Groom, which became the source of the famous Hollywood film adaptation.
The name "Pearls" is not given for one sonorousness. This gemstone has long been a symbol of the inner purity of the human spirit and the beauty of the soul, enclosed like a pearl in a coarse shell, in the shell of an imperfect human body. Such is Shivaya, in whom intellectual inferiority is more than compensated by an inner intuitive sense of justice, nobility of intentions, a great kind heart, devotion, utmost sincerity and the ability to sacrifice oneself without hesitation for the benefit of a creature dear to him. The inner beauty is akin to divinity, not without reason the name Shiva is derived from the name of one of the main Hindu deities. To become a hero and his beloved – LalitA, whose name means “fullness of perfection” and comes from the name of one of the Hindu goddesses, especially revered in the South of India. She is like a persistent tin soldier, outwardly dispassionate and firm, fragile and vulnerable inside, sensitively responds to the kindness and sincerity of Shivai’s sympathy. Absolutely guileless guy who is amusingly trampling on the spot, clumsily clubfoot, ridiculously jumps and jiggles his legs in the dance, opens his mouth wide and often blinks long eyelashes completely round veal touching eyes, if not completely conquers, then carefully warms her heart, frozen from human staleness.
"Pearls" is cautious about the many plagues of Indian society. Social injustice, inequality of castes and various social strata within them. Spiritual poverty with material luxury and excess income. Contrary to the chastity of the villagers of the unbridled citizens. But perhaps most starkly and poignantly in the film, like a broken string, the problem of widowhood of Indian women. Yes, the terrible custom of self-immolation was abolished by the British in the century before last. But the life of a young and full of strength of a beautiful woman who lost her husband early even in our time often turns into the existence of a living corpse. The unfortunate woman has no right to remarry, wear colorful clothes, indulge in even the most innocent entertainment. Seeing a widow on the street is considered a bad omen, and her look is perceived as capable of causing damage. For their relatives, even if they, out of pity or fear of condemnation by neighbors, do not hand her over to an institution specially created for such women, she will become a burden and an eternal hindrance to a careless life. A guy who decided to connect his life with a widow will need the spiritual strength of the deity, dedication and courage of a fairy-tale prince. But for all its merits, “Pearls” was created, albeit in the best, but still canonical traditions of Indian cinema, so good triumphs over evil in it, and shelterless angels in human form always find protectors and patrons among strangers, but decent people.