In the past, several Malayalam films based on the LGBTQ+ community did not get the fuel required for a good run at the box office.
Representation of the LGBTQ+ community in the Malayalam films. (Supplied)
Mammootty-starrer Kaathal-The Core (2023), helmed by Jeo Baby, is drawing an overwhelming response by the day. The movie is widely appreciated for its bold content.
Mathew Devassy, a homosexual person played by Mammootty in the film, is being termed one of the most important roles in his career.
Kaathal-The Core is being celebrated by the LGBTQIA+ community across India as they feel the movie represents them in a true sense.
The LGBTQIA+ community celebrating the success of a film is something new for mainstream Malayalam cinema.
Kaathal-The Core undoubtedly won recognition because Mammootty played the role of a homosexual man.
Director Jeo Baby revealed in an interview that his first choice for the role was Mammootty as the veteran actor is well-read and keeps abreast of changes.
Mammootty’s stardom did not stop him from taking up the role of Mathews Devassy, who faces issues with his wife due to his sexual orientation. Indeed, his character subtly reflected the social insecurity, emotional dilemma, and psychological impact that LGBTQIA+ people face due to discrimination and societal norms.
However, it has to be noted that Kaathal-The Core is not the first Malayalam film that spoke about same-sex love. In the past, several movies did not get the fuel required for a good run at the box office.
Let’s check some of those forgotten Malayalam films which dealt with the LGBTQIA+ community:
Nivin Pauly in ‘Moothon’. (X)
Moothon (2019) directed by Geethu Mohandas spoke about the love between two men.
Set against the backdrop of Lakshadweep and Mumbai, the movie featured Nivin Pauly and Roshan Mathew as central characters.
The film begins with the introduction of a child named Mulla who is assaulted by his fellow children. He sets on a journey to Mumbai in search of “Moothon” (elder brother) who leaves the island (Lakshadweep) long before.
The scene then shifts to Kamathipura in Mumbai where “Bhai” (Nivin Pauly) lives. He is a dreaded don involved in human and child trafficking.
Mulla suffers a lot at the hands of Bhai’s gang. Towards the interval, the film delivers a surprise factor that makes the audience sit throughout.
In the second half, Moothon takes a different turn with the director giving light to the early life of Bhai aka Akbar, a “Kutha Ratheeb” performer. His intense relationship with Ameer (Roshan Mathew) is one of the well-crafted scenes in the flick.
Nivin Pauly and Roshan Mathew gave their souls to their respective characters.
Moothon also shows gangster fights in Mumbai and focuses on transgender persons.
However, upon its release, the movie didn’t do well at the box office.
A still from of ‘Mumbai Police’. (Supplied)
Mumbai Police (2013) is a multi-star film headlined by Prithviraj Sukumaran, Jayasurya, and Rahman.
Prithviraj played the role of a homosexual man in the flick.
Antony Moses, a police officer (Prithviraj), suffers from amnesia after he meets with an accident. He forgets his past.
Before the mishap, he was working on a murder case of his colleague and friend Aryan (Jayasurya). Farhan (Rahman) gives him the details of the case and the developments. Farhan tells Antony that he had called him before the accident saying that he had found the culprit. Antony must find the murderer now.
As he digs more, Antony realises who the murderer is and also learns about his past, including his sexual orientation.
Antony Moses realises that is a gay man and has turned himself into an alpha male to keep his identity safe.
The script of Mumbai Pollice was written by Bobby-Sanjay who did justice to their job.
Directed by Roshan Andrews, the Malayalam film faced criticism from a few sections. In a scene, Antony Moses cries after realising his sexual orientation and the crime he committed. People criticised the scene saying that being gay isn’t evil.
The movie didn’t go down well with the family audience. However, it was critically acclaimed. Prithviraj Sukumaran won accolades for his role.
A scene from ‘My Life Partner’. (Supplied)
My Life Partner (2014) presented same-sex love with a different perspective.
According to its director MB Padmakumar, it showed the mirror to society.
The story deals with the deep and intricate emotional relationship between two men — Kiran (Sudev Nair) and Richard (Ameer Niyas).
After the release of Kaathal-The Core, Padmakumar shared the bitter experiences he faced when he made My Life Partner.
In his Facebook video, the director said he wrote the script for the film after a lot of research. He revealed that he faced extreme mental pressure at that time. People threw stones at him for making a film based on homosexual people.
The filmmaker said theatres were unwilling to exhibit My Life Partner as it did not have any superstars. In many centres, the movie was replaced by another flick.
Padmakumar said though the film was finally screened at one or two multiplexes, there was no audience.
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