Cast: Basil Joseph, Darshana Rajendran
Music: Ankit Menon
Direction: Vipin Das
The film is set in a town in Kerala where its a patriarchal society. Men roam around with entitlement with misogynistic values. Even the professor character who preaches his female students to be independent ends up being possessive and arrogant once the girl falls in love with him. The women in the town are obedient and tolerate their men. They do all the household chores even though they go to work. The short sequence in the start of the film shows how the female cooks lunch, packs for herself and leaves to work while her husband is sleeping. The title sequence also describes the characteristics of a good woman.
Jayabarathi a.k.a Jaya (Darshana Rajendran) grows up in this society where she isn’t allowed to voice her opinion or do anything as per her wish. She is forced to marry Rajesh (Basil Joseph), who twirls his mustache when we see him for the first time. He throws some attitude when Jaya’s brother enquiries whether she can study after marriage. He eats only specific foods, never does any household chores and is short tempered. Also he has amazing control. We see that while he drives his truck into the house. In short, he is the typical patriarchal man. Soon Jaya realizes that when he slaps her for serving him a new food.
The story of domestic violence is treated differently in different films. In Thappad its treated as a serious drama, in Ammu its treated almost like a noir and in this film it’s treated with humour. The first time when Jaya stands up for herself, it’s both a mass moment and a hilarious moment. After this incident, Rajesh loses his control which again we see through his driving. Basil Joseph is tailor made for this role. He brings out laughter just through his expressions.
The writing is fantastic with a series of comedy episodes that makes this film a laughter riot. Though filled with comedy, the earnest emotions are beautifully brought out. Darshana Rajendran is fantastic in this role. She is a rockstar in this. Though the writing is slightly predictable, the climax sequence was especially underwhelming for me. The writing is wonderfully complemented by editing and music. The background score elevates the comedy, while the songs are well integrated into the narrative. The film happens through various years and the jump cuts are effectively used to traverse through times. In all its comedy tone, the film actually makes a strong statement on patriarchy and its guardians, men.
Verdict: An hilarious satire on marriage that is backed by wonderful performances
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