Malayalam Actor Mammootty Is A 'Real Life Hero'

Mammootty’s illustrious acting career spans over four decades. He has successfully built a loyal fan base among viewers especially in the state of Kerala. His stardom is well-earned. It is rooted in the wide range of genres in his filmography, his versatility, and the conviction with which he plays each character. In a recent interview, Jyotika, Mammootty’s co-actor in his most recent film, Kaathal the Core, said that when she asked him why he chose to do this role, he replied, “Who is a hero? A hero is not someone who is beating up someone and doing action and romance, a hero is someone who is trying different roles, getting into the act of different characters. That’s a real hero”.

Mammootty’s filmography like that of every other Indian superstar includes movies with high octane action, brimming with testosterone and masculinity. In the last two years, what is it about Mammootty and his films that have grabbed audiences’ attention and opened up so many conversations? If you look at the roles Mammootty has taken on in the last two years, it feels like an actor’s dream run: the action-packed commercial gangster film Bheeshma Parvam, the psychological thriller Rorschach, the captivating human drama Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam, the investigative cop thriller Kannur Squad, the recent Kaathal the Core, a thought provoking and impactful piece of cinema with a subtle narrative. With admirable fearlessness and dedication, Mammootty is making risky choices not only as an actor but also as a producer at the age of over 70. This is partly because his fanbase does not expect him to do the same roles and certain genre of films again and again. They welcome the evolution of the actor with new film. 

More Than A Star

Kaathal the Core stars Mammootty and Jyotika as Mathew and Omana respectively in lead roles, who have been married to each other for 20 years. Mathew is seen as a progressive man and is all set to stand for the panchayat election. While Mathew’s poster is put up all across the town for the campaign and he has become the talk of the town, Omana shocks everyone by filing a petition for divorce. To the amazement of the orthodox community, the reason stated for divorce in the petition is that Mathew is a homosexual. Mathew has to manage his divorce case and run for the election, no easy task. There is a lot of beating around the bush regarding the reason for the divorce. Clearly communicating and referring to the actual issue is avoided. This brings out the conservative nature of an average Indian family. It also sheds light on the hypocrisy of families that find it easy to pass comments on other people’s lives, but hesitate to address issues when their own family is involved. 

The court proceedings begin, and it is only then that we get to know about the marital issues of the couple and how their bond survived for 20 years. The messaging in the narration is subtle, respecting of the identities of the people of the LGBTQIA+ community. During the course of the film, and especially during the court proceedings, we see how cordial and respectful Mathew and Omana are to each other. They genuinely care for each other and have mutual admiration. This may have been the only reason their marriage lasted for 20 years. Simple gestures show that they still care for each other: Mathew takes a step towards Omana to hold her bag while she goes to testify against him in court. 

Mathew looks at himself in the mirror, reflecting on who he really is and the person he projects to be to the world, which is also a central theme of the film – what a man is expected to be versus what he really is. Just before the final verdict of the court, Mathew realises he is fighting for nothing and that his wife Omana is only demanding for her basic right as a human. She has been suffering for years, keeping quiet for so long only for the sake of his honour, but she does have a life of her own which she deserves to live the way she wants to.

A Hero Can Cry

In one scene, Mathew sits down with his father for the first time, pouring his heart out and telling his father how heavy he has been feeling for over 20 years now. Mathew cries like a baby and lets go of the burden he has been carrying for so long. He then reaches out to his wife, sits next to her, and says sorry to her. They both break down in front of each other and Omana tells him she is not fighting only for herself but also for him because he deserves to be free just like her. Since the divorce proceedings started Mathew had been sleeping in another room, but as this is their last night together in their house, Omana asks him, with utmost concern and love, “Will you sleep beside me tonight?” 

The following day, things fall into place for them. They both move out to live independent lives, promising to be supportive of each other. 

The director, Jeo Baby, effectively conveys all the darkness in the worlds of these characters using their silences since silence sometimes conveys way more than words can hope to. And the most important aspect of this sensitive film is that there is no moral lecture in the narrative at all. 

Saman Fatima Rafi is a Performance Studies student from Ambedkar University