The Kerala High Court has admitted an appeal regarding the derogatory portrayal of the LGBTQIA+ community in the Malayalam film Oru Jaathi Jaathakam, directed by M Mohanan and starring Vineeth Sreenivasan and Nikhila Vimal. The appeal was filed by Shakhiya S Priyamvada, a representative of the LGBTQIA+ community and a resident of Alappuzha in Kerala. According to reports, the court will issue a notice to the individuals involved in the film, including the producer.
The petition argues that certain words and dialogues in the movie are humiliating and derogatory towards the LGBTQIA+ community, and that these words promote discrimination, violate human dignity, and perpetuate harmful stereotypes. “Under Article 14 (Right to Equality), Article 19 (Freedom of Speech with Reasonable Restrictions), and Article 21 (Right to Life and Dignity) of the Constitution of India, every individual, including LGBTQ+ persons, has the right to be treated with respect and dignity,” the petition states.
Oru Jaathi Jaathakam was released in theatres on January 31, 2025. The film was written by Rakesh Mantodi and produced by Maha Subair and Varnachithra Big Screen. Popular actors such as Babu Antony, Isha Talwar, Pooja Mohanraj, Sayanora Philip, and PP Kunhikrishnan also appear in the film.
The story revolves around Jayesh (Vineeth), a 37-year-old man from the northern districts of Kerala, who is portrayed as a regressive chauvinist seeking an arranged marriage, rejecting women based on the colour of their skin or their choice to work after marriage. In TNM’s review of the film, Cris wrote that the script goes wrong in so many different ways, from the continually failing attempts at comedy to the totally distasteful depiction of the queer community.