A string of new Malayalam movies brought in the much-needed dose of fresh air, feminism and perspectives into the entertainment space. The OTT platforms witnessed a set of movies that burst the moulds of blacks, whites and boldly tread the path of greys and stuck firmly to the authenticity of its characters. A path-breaking newness has slowly come about and the movie makers have not shied away from displaying the real greys of humanity, the deep purple of invisible abuses or the flimsy glitter of society’s ‘rights’…
Be it the slimy grimy smokiness
of patriarchy that prevails through the ‘Great Indian Kitchen’, the undertones
of hopelessness in ‘Nayatt’ or the silent greed of each character in ‘Joji’ –
the movie makers have discarded the tropes of predictable cardboard characters
and templates of good, evil and righteousness. There is no right, there is no
wrong and no judgement and no holding back or ‘filters’- that I believe is the
core of these movies and also paves the way for unexplored stories and emotions
to the fore.
Every character has been crafted
with thought, has a firm root in the plot and has a story each to tell and
there is no superficial need to associate them to the ‘lead’, ‘comedian’, ‘item
number’ and the other building blocks that make a blockbuster come alive. The
so-called superstars have all gone home, the sun has set on stardom. Actors
that get into the skin of the character now carry the story along- nothing
holding them back, no expectation to adhere to ‘images’ or glamour that was
expected of movie stars in general. Authentic stories told by truthful
characters is the game and the tool that essays these narratives into magical ‘reel’
or should I say OTT movies.
What is equally commendable is
the portrayal of women in these movies. From the far-cry of ‘sword-holding
avengers’ or the ‘doe-eyed subservient housewives’ – the two extremes that
movies have always played safe with – the women in these movies do not carry
any burden of ‘diversity’ or any expectations or the ‘right’ portrayal- a trap
that movie makers have fallen into. They are in a ‘normal’ space of their own,
doing what any person would do – having their own mind and taking ‘actions’ in
the thick of the plot . For once, the peripherals are not the cozy place for
our women characters – they are influencing, visible and displaying ‘goods’,
‘bads’ of their characters without apology, revenge or remorse in the backdrop.
