Weaving Fire

This translation of M.V. Venkatram’s Tamil classic novel, Velvi Thee, is based on the lives of a little-known Saurashtrian silk weavers’ community in Tamil Nadu.
A highly skilled and hard-working weaver, Kannan’s life has always been a battle of exploitation and survival—first by his own family members and later by unscrupulous middlemen who made sure the weavers remained impoverished. The story begins with rains lashing and ruining the weavers’ village, including Kannan and his wife Kausalai’s home and looms. Kannan’s economic ruin provides his long-time employee and confidante the opportunity to backstab him. During this turmoil, Hema, a young widow, enters Kannan’s life. She is determined to have a relationship with Kannan, even if it means sharing him with her friend Kausalai and giving Kannan money to bail him out of his dire financial situation. A pregnant Kausalai is furious and distraught when she finds the truth about Hema’s intentions.
While Kannan is in the middle of negotiations to find a solution to the weavers’ union strike, he returns home late one night and realizes his wife and daughter are missing!