It may sound absurd, but Arjun Reddy from Arjun Reddy and Sleevachan from Kettiyolaanu Ente Malakha stem from the same tree of patriarchy. But patriarchy takes various forms in various people. That is also why Arjun reddy is despised and Sleevachan seems capable of love even after committing conjugal rape. Sleevachan like a lot of men is a victim of patriarchy too. He has been rendered incapable of interacting freely with women. He is fond of children, he has several sisters, he strikes up conversations with elderly women like his mother but when it comes to the opposite sex in his age category, he is tongue-tied. The reasons may vary, but a lot of times, it is the fear of the unknown that stops people from being their true selves.
There are these characters that you have to loathe, in order to like the movie. And Asif Ali has been doled out quite a number of those kinds in his career. His most cringe performance, however, was in Uyare as the clingy, acid throwing boyfriend. But in this movie, it is impossible to hate him, even as he shows up drunk to his own wedding night.
The word consent is not mentioned even once in the film. But Sleevachan finally understands how to talk to women and also the meaning of consent. Character growth can happen only at a certain pace. At the Interval block, I was a little worried that Sleevachan was going to turn into a Casanova to win back his wife. But the character growth shown in the film is justified and believable. Somewhere in the middle of the movie, if you so badly wanted to grab Sleevachan and Rincy, and ask them to just talk and hug it out! You were probably just like me! A guilty gooey romantic person!
Finding the capability to love beneath those layers of insecurities and fears is always a beautiful emotion. And it always presents itself well on screen. When a hardened person, breaks out of his shell and is willing to expose his vulnerable raw side for love and family, it is indeed a moment worth tearing up for. The movie gives minor flashbacks to the cult classic Mouna Raagam. But the movie is so fresh and the characters so pristine, this movie can be used to take the concept of conjugal/marital rape to even those who have no idea about it.
Malayalam cinema has always had this way of making everything so easy breezy. Compare this to Maalai Nerathu Mayakkam, the only other Tamil movie that talks about marital rape. There is a world of difference even though the theme is similar. In themes such as these, I personally believe the injection in a banana (please read this in Tamil) method works better than the blatant, on your face one. Maybe it’s because Kerala is famous for bananas, they are good at this too! Anyhow, definitely something to learn from Malayali filmmakers!
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