Mammootty shows how to stay relevant with his artistic choices

Have you been amazed by ‘The Great Indian Kitchen’? Then you must go watch the same director’s latest movie, ‘Kaathal; The Core’.

The first thing that strikes while watching 'Kaathal' is how director Jeo Baby has improved his craft by leaps and bounds. Apart from the captivating frames, he masterfully places contrasting and comparable scenes side-by-side, and movement and stillness to emphasise emotions. Kaathal is a masterpiece in the new era of ‘mainstreamed’ sociopolitical cinema.

The mastery starts with the craft and screenplay, of course, but extends to the casting as well. Mammootty, or Mammookka as Malayalis call him endearingly, being cast as the gay protagonist is a tactical move. Although the actor has done a wide variety of roles, his popularity rests on the image of a family-oriented, successful man who delivers “decent family movies” that are welcomed into heterosexual households without hesitation, much in contrast with the character he portrays in 'Kaathal'. While the movie and its politics do benefit from his stardom, the ‘megastar’ is also making an example of himself to show how to stay relevant with his artistic choices.

The movie is abundant in bittersweet moments, made rich by seasoned artists who know how not to overdo it when it comes to emotional performance. 'Kaathal' tells the story of a typical old-money middle-class Christian family settled in some part of high-range Kerala. It is this ordinariness into which Jeo Baby weaves his unconventional story.

Mathew, played by Mammootty, is set to contest in the upcoming local body elections in their constituency. In the middle of Mathew’s candidacy getting progressively decided in the election season, a divorce notice comes to Mathew, filed by his wife Omana.

Now, although Omana (played by Jyothika) does show signs of internal turmoil and a sort of determination from the beginning of the movie, she seems to be on good terms with Mathew. They both live with Mathew’s father. The couple has a daughter who visits them occasionally from her hostel.

Mathew seems as confused as the viewer about the divorce notice, considering the absence of a visible conflict between the couple. It is through later conversations between different characters in the movie - Mathew’s partymen, advocates, and the couple themselves and much later through the court proceedings that we get to see the actual roadblock in their relationship. Omana has filed for a divorce on the reason that Mathew, as a gay man, had hidden his sexual orientation from her, and had been thus cruel to her by denying her of her physical needs expected to be fulfilled in a marital relationship. 

This is not a movie of grandioseness. This one lives through its small tender moments, and many of them could go unnoticed if one is not careful.

What makes the movie go the extra mile with its audience, apart from its politics, is the uncommon tenderness with which the characters are portrayed. The emotional maturity each character portrayed is a little too optimistic, and yet very much humanly possible. There is much more room to explore into Mathew and Omana’s shared care and friendship, but the movie leaves it in subtle expressions of affection.

While Jeo Baby’s earlier work is known for the frankness of their topic, this one should be known for its subtlety, used quite craftily.