Women in movies: Interesting characters help Malayalam films end 2024 with a bang
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Malayalam cinema has made great progress in content and style over the past few years. However, it has recently been criticized for its poor representation of women characters, most notably in films that did well in theatres. The trend was evident in 2023, when films like 'Kannur Squad', '2018' and 'Romancham', which hardly had any female characters, did great business. It continued in the first half of 2024 when 'Aavesham', 'Manjummel Boys', 'Bramayugam', which had minimal or no female presence, went on to mint money at the box office, prompting filmmakers like Anjali Menon to ask, 'Where are the women in Malayalam cinema?'
While her comment deserves deeper introspection, it is heartening to see a change in scenario since mid-2024. The industry has since been churning out a sizable number of films with interesting, well-written female characters. The year ended with Aashiq Abu's 'Rifle Club' endorsing women's power like never before.
In Christo Tomy's 'Ullozhukku', two women – Leelamma and Anju, played to perfection by Urvashi and Parvathy, respectively – try to navigate several secrets amid the death of Anju's husband. The story's powerful and complex family dynamics are a subtle reminder of how female characters need to be explored in Malayalam cinema.
In Vinod Leela's 'Mandakini', Anarkali and Saritha Kukku explore a quirky daughter-in-law and mother-in-law relationship. The former admits she is heartbroken after her boyfriend ditches her. How Rajalakshmi (the mother-in-law) takes matters into her own hands is a defining moment in the film and Saritha's character gives male heroes a run for their money.
Payal Kapadia's 'All We Imagine As Light', which was released in theatres in November, celebrates womanhood in many ways. The film follows two Malayali women nurses—Anu and Prabha—played by Divya Prabha and Kani Kusruti. They represent the lakhs of the migrant workforce trying to find their way through the ups and downs of their personal lives. The film won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival.
Jyothirmayi made a powerful comeback in Amal Neerad's 'Bougainvillea' playing a woman with retrograde amnesia. The movie centres on how she tries to come back to life after surviving a trauma. Veena Nandakumar and Srinda too hold their own in the movie. The year ended with some more interesting female characters. In 'Sookshmadarshini', Nazriya Nazim plays a young mother who tries to unravel the mystery behind the strange incidents at her neighbour's house.
In 'Rudhiram', Aparna Balamurali is the resilient young woman who attempts to escape from the hands of her rapist.
In Rifle Club, Aashiq Abu uses women differently as they wield guns and shoot down enemies. Vani Viswanath's mass dialogue and swag in the movie were the perfect scene to end this year, which thankfully gave women the space they deserved.