“I thought there would be some big speech, but the film just ended,” my sister told me. Both were watching Kaathal – The Core and were so engrossed in the film that we did not even realise it had ended. What also startled us was that there were no ‘heroic’ or ‘big’ speeches in the film, unlike what we often see in Hindi films. This one moment itself propelled me to write this review. Directed by Joe Baby and written by Adarsh Sukumaran and Paulson Skaria, Kaathal – The Core is a Malayalam film featuring Mammootty and Jyothika with a nuanced take on love, marriage and family. It is not a film that preaches, but one that depicts. It speaks through the characters rather than the actors.
The film’s premise revolves around Mathew Devassy (played by Mammootty) and Omana’s (played by Jyothika) characters who have been married for twenty years with a daughter named Femi. The film picks up pace when it is revealed that a divorce case has been filed by Omana just when Mathew’s name is proposed as an independent candidate by the Left Democratic Front for the by-elections. There are murmurs about the nature of the case and gradually it is revealed that Omana has filed for divorce alleging Mathew of homosexuality. While he denies the claims, it becomes pretty evident to the viewers that he is not speaking the truth. This is where the acting prowess of the superstar actors is fully on display – the facial expressions and the body language successfully convey the unsaid.
However, what is striking is how Mathew and Omana continue to live together without quarrelling about the issue. This is also perhaps because of how Mathew describes himself to the marriage counsellor – that as a person, by nature, he does not speak much. In one of the court interrogations, Omana was asked if she tried to talk to her husband before filing the petition. To this, she had responded that whenever she would bring up the topic of divorce, Mathew would just walk away. He was not comfortable with conversations, probably reflecting the burden of living with a secret. In fact, Mathew barely speaks throughout the film but is able to beautifully portray his emotions of anguish, agony and helplessness through his facial expressions and body language. This also possibly explains why there was no big speech to release his emotions in the film.
Mathew’s father has an interesting role in the film. He coerced Mathew into a marriage with Omana even after being aware of his sexual preferences. Soon he develops a special bond with Omana. In fact, after Omana rejects his request to withdraw the divorce petition, he acts as a witness in the court, giving testimony in her favour. His relationship with Mathew had been rocky but towards the end of the film, they have a heart-to-heart. Mathew’s father accepts that it was his fault that he forced his son into a marriage in which he could not give his best. His character is no special, it mirrors how parents in most Indian societies behave. Homosexuality is thought of as a medical condition that can be cured with marriage.
One has to also appreciate Omana’s courage in deciding to end a twenty-year-old marriage. In a deeply religious and patriarchal society, it was not easy to file for divorce. She had received little to no support from her natal family even after her complaints that the marriage was not working. It’s particularly difficult to end a marriage in which there are no signs of physical violence. The most general advice is to ‘work it out’ as Omana’s brother often tells her. In fact, even in the court proceedings, she has to justify numerically that Mathew is not sexually interested in her as they had sexual intercourse only four times in their twenty-year-old marriage. The daughter, she said, was ‘demanded’ by her. What I feel the film could have done slightly better is focus more on how denial of sexual and physical intimacy for women is not seen as the same as it would be for men. Women’s sexual desires are often underplayed and seen as ‘compromisable’.
In my opinion, the film also very poignantly depicts love. While there was a lack of sexual intimacy between Mathew and Omana, they nonetheless had a special bond. It was marked by mutual respect, trust and friendship. Even the relationship between the couple with their daughter was mature, with a willingness to discuss issues. For instance, Omana had a conversation with Femi before filing her petition. Similarly, Mathew, too, talks to her after the case unfolds. Omana’s relationship with her father-in-law is also one of love and respect, and it’s this association that keeps her going even after her daughter goes away to live in a hostel.
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Kathaal – The Core is a reflection of a society that is heteronormative and traditional in its understanding of marriage. The idea of love is limited to family-approved marital relations. In the opening scene, for instance, Mathew is advised by a party worker to side with a father who does not want his daughter to marry a migrant. The migrant is not an acceptable match. Mathew, however, does the opposite of what he was told. He asks the father to accept his daughter’s love. His position on love is clear – perhaps showing that what he could not do for himself should not be repeated in another case. His action thus challenges how we understand love itself. The power of love is also visible in how the family behaves after the divorce comes through. One can see Mathew by Omana’s side when she is shown meeting another man. There is no uneasiness or awkwardness, once again underlining the emotional intimacy that exists between Mathew and Omana.
Jeo Baby’s film does not make any revolutionary claims. It is just storytelling at its best and this is what makes Kaathal – The Core unique in its approach.
The author is a sociologist by training and mostly writes on issues of food, culture, gender and media.
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