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In a rather undramatic moment from Kaathal – The Core, spouses Omana (Jyotika) and Mathew (Mammootty) are at the Family Court. When the judge summons Omana to the witness stand, she instinctively hands over her bag to Mathew. It isn’t an unusual ritual for the couple. The setting is unfamiliar, yet the practice is something they dutifully did throughout their matrimony. In a dissection of marriages in an Indian setting, filmmaker Jeo Baby ranks love and individuality above duty. The result is a film that would go into the archives of Indian cinema for its audacity.
“You are my core, my heart forever
You stay afar but close to me forever…
My wings will forever covet for you. My cherished tree…
You echo within the branches of my life, O birdie…”
Here is what the theme song of Kaathal – The Core translates to. A surprisingly quiet and unbitter divorce drama, the film garnered popularity when a seemingly fake synopsis from the IFFI Goa’s festival booklet circulated on social media. The write-up revealed Malayalam superstar Mammootty to be playing a homosexual character – something implausible for an icon of his stature. The disbelief made way to the surfacing of a more sanitized synopsis (which was probably doctored by the superstar’s fans). Film lovers who wore progressiveness on their sleeves heaved a sigh of relief as their cleverly veiled homophobia went unnoticed. The filmmakers did not comment or perhaps were not aware of the developments.
In late November, Kaathal – The Core premiered at the film festival and opened in cinemas a couple of days later to garner unanimous acclaim. The ‘fake’ storyline turned out to be the film’s actual crux. Not only did many jaws drop (in awe as well as in derision) but it also opened up a very important discussion in our society. Spearheaded by who must be the greatest superstar Malayalam cinema has ever seen, the topic had to make its way into our living rooms. After all, who wouldn’t enjoy a hugely appreciated ‘Mammootty Padam’ sans expletives and vulgarity?
Coming back to Jeo Baby’s film, its theme song (penned by Anwar Ali) masterfully establishes Kaathal – The Core as a story of love. It isn’t a love story but an unlikely tale of love. The love that Omana has for Mathew. She spent over two decades with the man in a home that she carefully fostered with affection. Omana is blessed with an accepting daughter and a loving father-in-law. A popular figure in the village of Teekoy, Mathew who recently retired is all set to foray into politics.
With no intention to sabotage her husband’s ambitions, Omana decides to end the act. Omana’s disillusionment for years has made way for conviction. She knows that the divorce won’t do good for her alone. It is equally for Mathews to shatter the shell of shame, to own up to his choices and his true self, and to give the love of his life the place and respect he deserves.
Jeo Baby does not carve a fairytale narrative where Omana exits Mathew’s life and the world magically accepts the latter’s affair with the local driving instructor Thankan (Sudhi Kozhikode). The backdrop of a local election, in which Mathew is fielded as a candidate, reveals the weather among the local people. The film, thankfully, refuses to delve deep into their points of view. Kaathal – The Core remains within the intimate boundaries of Mathew, Omana, and their families with occasional hearings at the Family Court. At one point, a representative from Queerala (a platform for LGBTQIA+ in Kerala) greets Mathews to offer him support. The court and the lawyers, too, at no instance points fingers at the man who is as much a victim of circumstances as Omana is. Kaathal – The Core iterates how someone had to take the first step. In Jeo Baby’s story, it is the woman who is brave enough to do so.
As much as it is a dialogue on sexuality, Kaathal – The Core never becomes a film about sex. It does address the act – one that is supposed to happen naturally between spouses. “Four times,” cites Omana as the number of times she has been physically intimate with her husband of over twenty years. It is impossible to not tear up when the lawyer points out that her needs were never met. Irrespective of sexual preferences, this isn’t a matter we delve into once a woman gets married, has children, and eventually submits to household duties – which in the eyes of the world are things she does out of love. As selfish as it may sound, Mathew at least had the company of Thankan. While we aren’t explicitly told whether their bond is sexual, it is acknowledged that it wasn’t a platonic friendship. Where does it leave the woman? Rejection in bed aside, does she have a support system outside the family? Will society accept Omana indulging in a clandestine affair with another man? If we were to draw a parallel, the world would vilify her a lot more than they would mock Mathew for his hidden sexuality. If Mathew deserved to be liberated, Omana had to seek equality and justice.
Mathew is never the villain in Omana’s story. Neither is it the father-in-law who believed marriage to be a reorientation therapy nor is it her family who approved of the match over the man she loved. In Mathew, Omana never got the husband she desired. Yet the woman never stops respecting him for who he is. Omana wants Mathew to stop living a lie and to – put in a more poetic manner as the song describes – fly away to the skies of indescribable freedom.
Once they separate, Omana campaigns for her ex-husband in the upcoming Panchayat election. Mathew becomes her wingman when she goes out on a date. Omana also greets Thankan with enormous grace. At that moment, the camera pans to give us an aerial view of this harmonious world. Omana is starting her life from scratch and the song (in KS Chithra‘s soul-stirring voice) echoes her compassionate mind.
“Ananthamam Vihayasil Uyarnnuyarnnu Po…” (“Rise high… Soar in the endless ethers of love…”)
In a world where conditionality rules, would you be large-hearted enough to wish a former partner the greatest degree of happiness?
Kaathal – The Core is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
