JAC : A Journal Of Composition Theory ISSN : 0731-6755
Being and Becoming: Representation of Women Issues in New
Generation Malayalam Movies
-Arya.C.A, Research Scholar,Dept.of English Muslim Arts College, Thiruvithancode, Tamilnadu (Affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Thiruneleveli). Email:[email protected] Ph:9072934597 &Prof.Dr.D.Radharemanan Pillai (Research Supervisor) Dept.of English Muslim Arts College, Thiruvithancode, Tamilnadu
Abstract :
Cinema has now become one of the most popular forms of entertainment for all classes of
audience-young students, tradition-bound house wives, struggling workers, busy corporate
heads, and bureaucratic government officials, disciplining policeman etc. it has become a
powerful tool to influence and impress the audience. Compared to earlier days there are women-
oriented movies in our age. Women issues have become more commercialized now. Women who
were always represented as the shadow of male have now turned as central characters. Apart
from the role that the society imposes upon women, she has moved far away from that viewpoint.
This paper focuses on how recent feminine issues are represented in the film and how it has
given voice to the total womenfolk. The study concludes that women in these movies are
conceptualized as modern women, but they actually are a modification of traditional feminine
identity. A few films are selected for the study.
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Keywords: Women Issues, Film, Conceptualization
From earlier days onwards the society has defined the role of women in society. She has
been conceptualized according to the age group. First as a girl child to obey her parents, she is
confined within the four wall of her family; she has to select anything according to her parents
wish. Later when she is grown up she is getting married to an unknown man, there her role as a
wife to please and obey her husband, and soon upgraded into the role of a mother. Somewhere in
between these changes she might lose her identity. Wherever it is, the role of women was to
please their men. But now the scene has totally changed. We can simply divide the movies into 3
sections:
1. Women characters who become strong under the support of male
2. Women who were still submissive.
3. Female centric
Though the movies are classified into three sections, the most interesting fact is all
movies have women who possess these three characters. No one is free from these
perceptions. The question arises who creates the problem? What creates the problem? Who
are the real suppressors?
Though the women at the beginning of the century were submissive, now they are trying
their best to break that boundary. But the issues of women have become much commercialized
now. Recent releases in Malayalam cinema depart from pigeonholing women in domestic roles.
Female characters explore their fates on their own terms.
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“Female leads were earlier just dolled up and made to dance around trees,
but now we are seeing strong female characters. They are gritty and
determined,” says Sajayan tells B Link
The films- in tone and location - shifted to urban settings, speaking in the slang particular
to the region, and portrayed characters as naturally as possible, breaking with a longstanding
tradition of airbrushing. Grand, melodramatic narratives of land, loss and love splintered to show
multiple, smaller stories of ordinary people grappling with ordinary life. As the movement
gathered steam, female leads were observed to be undergoing subtle yet significant shifts in
representation.
“Women in Malayalam cinema until now were presented through a bipolar
construction - either they were saintly caregivers or they were hypersexual,
uncontrolled women out to seduce the hero,” says director-screenwriter
Sanju Surendran, noted for his award-winning film Aedan.
The powerful women characters:
Though the film has shown a variety of women characters, the powerful characters portrayed
in the film are always mesmerizing. They not only impress the audience but also influence and
make them strong. When we are analyzing the day today affairs of our country it is really
pathetic that the media is really enjoying the women atrocities and rape. They consider women as
a piece of news material to increase the rating of their channel. This idea has been discussed in
the movie ‘Ira’, where a vibrant journalist and activist Ms.Vaigadevi has been brutally raped and
killed by the corporate company head and his father (Minister Chandi). Her father and mother
were also activists who fought for the right of the adivasis, but were burned alive in front of their
children. What dropped by her parents was further followed by Vaigadevi which is the pen name
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of Karthu. As part of an investigation she met with Rajeev who is a police officer. Rajeev find
out the real identity of Karthu. They soon fall in love. At the day of confessing his love Karthu
was raped and killed by the enemies. Rajeev find out the culprits and the whole film is about the
revenge of Rajeev and Karthu’s sister. They never disclosed the name of Karthu anywhere but
have fulfilled their revenge. At a particular scene Rajeev said that the media use a word to refer
the raped girl whether she is alive/dead as ‘victim’/ ‘Ira’. The case will soon extend for years and
the real culprits will surely escape from the law. This should not be like that; Karthu’s murderers
should be killed. They never want to use the name of Karthu by the media and public as a victim
to enjoy. A strong fighter of rights can be seen in the face of Vaigadevi. She has the courage to
question the public and finally she shed her blood for the same purpose.
Shikkari Shambhu directed by Sugeeth and written by Nishad Koya. The story revolves
around three small-time fraudsters, Peelipose aka Peeli (Kunchacko Boban), Achu (Vishnu
Unnikrishnan) and Shaji (Hareesh Kanaran). They overhear a conversation between a priest and
his assistant and learn about a tiger unleashing terror in a village called Kurudimalakaavu and the
region’s MLA (Manianpilla Raju) looking for a hunter.
Peeli and his friends were already in trouble where they were and sensing an opportunity,
move to the village as hunters, eyeing the Rs 5 lakh reward as also the rare panchaloha idol in a
temple. They become the darling of the villagers when they succeed in capturing the beast,
though by a fortunate turn of events. Instead of bagging the cash prize, they request that they are
allowed to stay in the village, obviously to pocket the idol that would make them rich. But there
is another twist to the tale or is it better described as a tail? The unfolding events take the story
forward.
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It’s always a rare incident that women who works in slaughterhouses. Here in the movie
Anitha (Shivada) is a worker in the village slaughterhouse. Her mind too becomes bold as she
has grown up under her father’s vengeance. Her father was dump, he can’t speak while the little
girl was young some villagers who were also powerful people in the village urges this man to
steal the idol of Devi in the forest temple. As they offer huge money he agreed and steals that
idol. But while moving back he was attacked by the forest guards and was shot down. He
escapes with his young daughter, but his wife who was nine months pregnant was burned alive.
This man soon becomes mad but he still has the vengeance for those people who destroyed his
life. His daughter too wants to fulfill her father’s dream. Her aim was thus to reach
Kurudimalakkavu. For that purpose she married a widower and he was soon dead. Later at night
by wearing the tiger mask she attacked and killed those people who destroyed her life but finally
towards the end she was caught red-handed. The courage and vengeance of a lady makes the
movie a real thriller. The girl was forced to do all this as her mother was burned alive in front of
her.
Ishq: The film involves a situation that a love-struck couple gets dragged into, while on a
late-night drive. The film gives a glimpse into the kind of moral policing that many are
constantly subjected to, on our streets. It also shows how such experiences get etched into the
minds of those who have had to go through such ordeals. The constant ogling, sleazy comments
and character assassination that women are subjected to, when spotted with men in public, are
aptly brought out through the scenes in the movie. The finesse with which the film’s director
showcases our society’s double standards when it comes to treating couples or women also
deserves a mention. It urges the audience to cheer for the revenge story, and the answers to the
many questions triggered within viewers while watching Ishq are cleared at the right junctures of
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the story. Vasutha the central character of the movie shows the real courage to break the relation,
as she understood that if something bad had happened, her lover won’t accept her.
Varathan: From the moment Varathan's Priya (Aishwarya Lekshmi) and Abin (Fahadh
Faasil) leave Dubai to make a family property in rural Kerala their home, a sense of foreboding
grips Varathan (Outsider). The roving eyes of the men in this remote place are fixed firmly on
her who they well remember as the smart girl they lusted after even in her schooldays, the one
they resented to the point of hate because she seemed beyond their reach, Priya ‘the unattainable
one’. Even as they salivate over her, as men might salivate over a delicious-looking leg of
mutton, they also closely watch with animosity the man she finally chose for a partner.
As women with their antennae on high alert tend to do in real life, Priya notices their
discomfiting stares long before Abin does, and senses a presence even when no one appears to be
physically around. The first half of Varathan is chillingly beautiful in its grasp of stalking,
voyeurism, intrusions on personal space, and how these can traumatize a woman. The
movie abruptly relegates Priya to the background, switches from psychological drama to
stereotypical action thriller mode, and is overtaken by patriarchal and cinematic clichés. Man-as-
protector-of-his-woman and man-in-charge is combined with Indian cinema's decades-old
answer to sexual harassment and violence against a woman: the avenging angel going on a
superhuman rampage. Still, to lull us into optimism with so much sensitivity until that long-
drawn-out, conventional-as-hell ending where it becomes evident that the fabulous, strong
heroine was not a character in her own right, that she was created primarily to be the spark that
drives the hero to get down to the business of becoming whatever it is people mean when they
say "be a man". The complete change in tack in the finale feels like such a betrayal.
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Ramante Edenthottam: The movie narrates the inner role conflicts and dilemmas of a
talented housewife Malini. She is a devoted mother to her daughter and adjusting wife to her
husband Elvis. Malini a typical village girl who is a very good dancer is getting married off to
Elvis, a film director. He destroyed all his hereditary wealth and even his dowry. Malini was a
silent partner. Elvis has a lot of other illegal relationships, but he wants his wife to be loyal and
trustworthy. The sequence changed when Malini encountered with Raman who is the owner of
an estate (a tourist spot). Raman tries to give her good support and he even makes her aware
about her own strength. She is really a powerful character, what rests within her subconscious
mind came to her conscious mind. Thus once again she began dancing and started a dance
school. At an occasion she even shows courage to leave Elvis when he began to doubt her
virginity. She was just an instrument to him for giving money. When she breaks the boundary
she became independent, but here also we can find out the fact that though the woman character
is powerful she still has been part of the traditional women. She needs the support of a male
partner i.e.; Raman.
The movie, Ramante Edenthottam, represents Elvis (husband of Malini) as an arrogant,
selfish, untrusting and rude husband. On the other hand, Raman is represented as a man who is
encouraging and faithful. Raman is represented as the male cum main hero. Malini was not self-
empowered. She contacts Raman whenever she is in need for suggestions about her dilemmas.
He encourages her to escape from the marriage. It shows that a man is the villain, but also the
main saviour of a woman. Malini becomes economically empowered and also breaks the loveless
and unfaithful marriage. However, she still loves to have the care of Raman. It shows that
women can live alone, but always they expect the care from a man. She is finding satisfaction
from the friendship of another man. Active patriarchal system has controlled the narrative
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structure of this film. The director encodes equal status to men and women in the movie for the
satisfaction of both male and female viewers.
Queen, 2018 Indian Malayalam-language drama thriller film directed by Dijo Jose
Antony, It features Saniya Iyappan as Chinnu, the sole female entry in a Mechanical Engineering
batch in a college. The story starts with the inauguration of a Mechanical branch. The beginning
of the first year is filled with ragging and clever escapades by the boys from their seniors. Late in
the first semester a girl, Chinnu joins mechanical branch. She soon becomes a lovable character
within the entire first year batch of the college. Her classmates discover that she is an orphan and
a cancer patient. During her time at the hospital her friends keep her company and makes friends
with other patients. She recovers from the cancer through chemotherapy and surgery, and visits
college during Onam celebrations just to have fun with her friends and campus life. She goes
back to her home in the evening to recuperate completely. Unexpectedly she was kidnapped by
some anti-socials and sexually assaulted. Even though Chinnu was hospitalised, she dies. Her
friends with support of various people from the community fight for justice and against the
malign grips of social institutions that was meant to protect the underprivileged. In the process
they are helped by Adv. Mukundan (Salim Kumar), a lawyer fighting for justice end the culprits
are caught and imprisoned. The students in the end turn to social service. The film ends with a
message that "women are not opportunities but responsibilities of men"
The movie questions the Indian judiciary for extending the women related cases for a
long time and thus giving opportunities to abuse the victim again and again by the public, and
thus they are enjoying the case as box news with news value. There are a lot of questions arise by
the advocate which was really the question emerged in every girl child’s mind. Which is the
wrong time of a girl to walk through the street? Is there a different law for a boy and girl of same
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age? Though our constitution offers equal opportunity and rights to both male and female at
many times we failed to achieve the goal, in case of salary, work, freedom and everything. Is it
the problem of dressing style of girl child? Then what about a girl who wears a gown which
covers her whole body? And a tiny baby of age two. It’s we who have to think and change our
perspective to view the society.
Uyare shows the dreams and aspirations of a 14 year old girl after taking her first flight
dreamed to become a pilot. She started doing things for that. Within this intercourse she has been
committed to a man named Govind. He was a typical arrogant man who can be identified as
representative of the patriarchal society. He never wants to leave her far from his hands. It was at
this moment that she got selected to the pilot training in Bombay. She soon leaves to Bombay. At
many times it’s difficult for her to continue with this relationship just because of his adamant
behavior. Any how the relation soon ends when he questioned and abused her in front of her
friends; she shows the courage to break the relation. But he gives her a reply through an acid
attack which destroyed the beauty of her face. It’s just the beauty of her face which was vanished
through the acid attack; she overcomes the situation and become an airhostess with the help of
Vishal CEO of Cloud Night Air Services. Vishal holds a press release and live-streams, saying
Pallavi has the brains and the attitude to be an air-hostess which matters more than having a
beautiful face. She shows the courage to show her face to the public and even saved the life of
hundreds of people in the aircraft when the pilot has an unexpected heart attack. This film was
not a feminist or feminine film. It’s an aspiration to the whole human beings, who has a dream in
your mind to fly high.
June, a young girl’s painful journey into adulthood. Mollywood films are indirectly
popularizing the concept of budding modern female identity, while female representation is
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bound to old patriarchal perceptions and traditions. Nowadays, women centric movies have
become commercializing subjects which immediately influence the viewers. This is the core
reason why currently these types of movies are getting preference. June encountered with
three men in her life and she was married off to the third person which her parents find out
for her as her life partner. Her first love was Noel her classmate, it ends with the behavior of
his father who wants educated women to be in the family as a supporter of her husband. His
wife too was a postgraduate who dedicates her life for looking after Noel. Like that he
wants June to be in the family. While talking about the marriage too he never asked any
suggestions about June, this irritated her and she finally break that relation.
Dear Comrade: Though it’s a Malayalam dubbed movie, it carries a wonderful idea.
Even the title of the movie is much significant. It’s nothing about a party; it means fight for the
people you deserve. Though everyone fights for their rights, there should be a person behind
him/her, a comrade it can be sister, brother, father, mother, lover, husband or anything. It doesn’t
matter. Though it’s a love story in a sense, but it has a story within a story. The lover
(chaithanya/bobby) never tries to control Aparna (Lily). He always tries to support her vision,
her ambition. A new subject has been introduced by the director. Though we have heard many
stories about women who were treated very badly by the menfolk in workplaces. Here too in the
film, Lilly is a women cricketer for getting selected to the national cricket team the chairperson
asked her to sleep with him. Her friend complained this to the BCC and she was severely
attacked by the chairperson and Lilly was treated very badly. She lost her self-control and met
with an accident. When Bobby gets to know that Lilly had met with an accident during the day
of National Selection and is sad and agitated upon seeing her condition in the psychiatric ward.
He sneaks her out of the hospital and takes her on a road-trip to Kerala to heal her both
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physically and emotionally. Her leg heals and she slowly appears to return to her former cheerful
self. He drops her back at her house and run into the doctor who had been treating her. The
doctor warns him that she may appear to be happy outside, but she has hidden pain inside. Bobby
dismisses this and as he leaves Lilly he gives her his Digital voice recorder to listen to if at all
she feels that she is in pain. Later during a friends marriage function Lilly told him that she is
ready to marry him, he scolded her and asked her to focus in her career. She got angry and left
him. Later when he gets to know about the real problems he attacked the chairman who
misbehaved to her and files a case against him. Though everyone including Lilly was against
him, later at the time of enquiry Lilly revealed everything and he was soon punished.
An interesting dialogue in a film Swale, where the editor comments that the newspaper
appears to be dull without a rape or women related issues. This shows how they rate the women
issues as a part of commercialization.
Conclusion:
By giving a lot of powerful women characters the film educated the audience to stay
strong and fight for the rights. Through this study we can find out how women have been
conceptualized. The new wave films portray the personality of the woman quite differently from
the traditional caricature form (mild, calm, coy and chaste). There is a paradigm shift in the
presentation of female debonair. Moreover, in a marked departure from conventionally
glamorous objects of desire, they are portrayed as ordinary women. The feminist impulse to
Mollywood film is trying to bring a sense of justice to the portrayal of women. The woman
characters and the woman centric movies encouraged the need of women to fight against
sexual violence, domestic abuse, fear and harassment.
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