Kanchana’s eyes darken with desire as she stares at her sister-in-law’s karimani (black beads) chain. She hungrily tugs at the chain, describing its artistry at length to her awkward sister-in-law. When she is gifted a sari by her sister-in-law, she is torn between greed and jealousy, eventually succumbing to the latter emotion. Kanchana is an ordinary homemaker with lofty ambitions for material things, which her husband isn’t able to fulfil.
At a time when the leading women in cinema were always divided into binaries, i.e., good or bad, Kanchana in Sathyan Anthikad’s Thalayanamanthram (1990) is a startling revelation. At least to begin with, more so because of the sublime nuances actor Urvashi lends to Kanchana. What started off as an intriguing female character is eventually reduced to a redemption act towards the end, where she is taught a lesson for being flawed and human. So here we are picking some (sadly, rather few in number) well-written women characters in grey in Malayalam cinema, who stuck to their guns till the end.
There is nothing ostensibly complex about this 60-something mother of two adult sons in this psychological thriller directed by Nisam Basheer. Seetha (Bindu Panicker) lives a quiet life in a village where her deceased son is revered as a hero, guarding her small family fiercely. She has chosen to ignore her philandering husband’s existence but when he is found dead, she doesn’t hesitate to demand her monetary rights. As she tells Luke Antony (Mammootty), her sons reflect her, and she will protect them come hell or high water.
Upon reflection, Seetha is not far from the stereotypical celluloid mother, because she doesn’t have or want a life apart from her children. But what makes her intriguing are the strokes of grey in her character that turn several shades darker as the story progresses, turning her into a Kaviyoor Ponnamma on acid. Bindu Panicker lends a deceiving composure to Seetha that’s frightening to watch.
Is there a filmmaker who empathised and allied with women with such perceptiveness as KG George? No one before or after him presented such well-rounded female characters on screen. In this much-underrated film, where he created his own spin on the angry young man, he also introduces a fascinatingly grey female character who debunks the very cliche of a celluloid mother and wife. Anniyamma (a superb Sreevidya) chooses to stray from her marriage since her needs are not met and has a fling with the man Friday at her parents’ home. She also ignores her child and keeps manipulating the situation in her favour by feigning tears. But George shields her from the prying eyes of the disparaging society and makes sure that in a narrative filled with debauched characters, Anniyamma is just one of them.
Snehalatha (Urvashi) uses her feminine wiles charmingly and unapologetically, persuading the naïve Bhaskaran (Sreenivasan) to gift her a hefty gold necklace. Just as smoothly, she soon gets rid of him and proceeds to marry someone with better prospects. Though Bhaskaran cries hoarse, Snehalatha never lets that get in the way and even post-marriage, she exercises her feminine wiles smartly and turns the whole situation in her favour yet again. She remains consistently unapologetic in this Sathyan Anthikad film.
Devi is willful, dreamy and temperamental, and typically her love affair with Nandan also starts on the wrong foot. In this romantic drama directed by Venu Nagavally, Devi (Urvashi) carries none of the labels associated with heroines on celluloid. In fact, it’s rather difficult to like her and her moods can swing with a grating unpredictability. But Devi is also all heart and loves Nandan with abandon, and despite marrying against her will, she thankfully never transitions into a woman she isn’t.
Her love story with Mahesh (Fahadh Faasil) was the talk of the town. But then it is also true that between the two of them, Sowmya (Anushree) is the practical one. So when she gets a prospective alliance, she is torn between guilt and listening to her heart. Maybe she recognised the inadequacy of marrying Mahesh and did the smartest thing — she chose herself first. And offers an apology to no one. Director Dileesh Pothan makes a fabulous debut in Malayalam cinema with Maheshinte Prathikaram.
Sally was the girl who knew exactly what she wanted. She believed in herself and didn’t mind bending the rules to get her way. If best friend Nimmy (Karthika) is pliable, gentle and perhaps attests to those stereotypical feminine attributes, it’s Sally (Shari) who impresses you with her fierce loyalty, decisiveness and fortitude. Of course, she isn’t easy to warm up to and certainly not someone you would want to be friends with. But in the end, despite an easy-to-adore Nimmi being pitted against her, it is Sally who remains a searing memory in our hearts. One of the finest from Padmarajan, which was later applauded for its subtext of homosexuality.
Directed by Nithin Lukose, the film revolves around two warring families. One of the most riveting passages involves the leading character’s bedridden grandmother. A cynical old woman who is verbally abusive and showers profanities liberally, her thirst for vengeance hasn’t been quenched and she keeps instigating her grandchildren with vicious tales of an ancient family feud. She thrives on patriarchy and tries to goad them by equating masculinity with revenge. Though only her wrinkled toes make an appearance, what terrifies you is her shaky yet daunting voice that has an eerie resonance to it. She is, in principle, the antagonist of the plot.
Once again, KG George depicts a woman who quietly breaks the conventional image of a celluloid wife and mother into shards. Susheela (Seema) is a homemaker who lives with her husband and children. She is one among the million Indian women who are stuck in a dreary routineness that never goes beyond yielding to the needs of her family. Neither her husband nor her children notice her despondency as their requirements are met with clockwise precision. It’s only when she elopes with another man that the family starts to notice her absence, again maybe because their easy routine went for a toss. What makes Susheela compelling is that despite realising that the man she chose over her family turned out to be a disappointment, she never thinks of going back. Despite the open-ended climax, we are able to empathise with her for choosing herself.