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Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Aabhyanthara Kuttavaali movie review: Asif Ali ably anchors this misguided film on men's rights and Section 498A
Malayalam actor Asif Ali has been having a dream run at the box office with films like Kishkindhakandam and Rekhachitram turning blockbusters. His choice of roles has been astute, and that's one reason perhaps why the audience looks forward to every release of his. Debutant director Sethunath Padmakumar has now given us Aabhyanthara Kuttavaali, which, like the trailer depicts clearly, is the story about a husband (Asif Ali) who is charged with Section 498A denoting dowry harassment and domestic abuse. Sahadevan (Asif Ali), who is a government temp worker in a cooperative society, is over the moon when he is going to get married to Nayana (Thulasi) and is all set for a happily married forever after on their wedding day. Unexpectedly, Sahadevan ends up with a gift of 100 sovereigns of gold from his father-in-law, and when his wife files a case against him for dowry harassment and domestic abuse, his entire world turns upside down. Sahadevan and Nayana's marriage isn't going perfectly, but what compels her to file a case of Section 498A against him? Hauled off to the Anthikad police station, Sahadevan desperately tries to prove his innocence by recounting events that took place in their short marriage. Nayana is very aloof, preferring no intimacy of any kind with him and insists she wants to go to the Netherlands to study. She suggests that the gold her parents gave can be sold off to fund her education, and when an unsuspecting Sahadevan objects to this, things go haywire. Nayana gets back at him by injuring herself and filing a domestic abuse case. The director then takes us through how Sahadevan struggles to prove his innocence in the courts. There have been numerous real-life incidents when women have misused Section 498A of the IPC and framed their husbands, and director Sethunath Padmakumar presents us one such case through his film. He bats for men's rights, and Sahadevan, along with two other men (Peter and Makkar), who are affected by a fake dowry case, are the vehicles through which he highlights this critical issue. However, what the director has also – wittingly or unwittingly – done is show that these men are extremely good-natured and can do no wrong, even if they have small vices like drinking. The women, on the other hand, are uniformly portrayed as evil with shallow values. And the director uses numerous instances to highlight this as well. But can men and women just be painted as black or white with no shades of grey? To soften the stance about women, there is a narration of various women, including Nayana, about the issues they face – but none of these issues are the serious ones like real domestic abuse, sexual harassment or ill-treatment that they deal with on a daily basis. One must commend Asif Ali for doing a fine job as Sahadevan on the quest for justice. But Sethunath Padmakumar has taken one aspect alone in this story – how a fake case of dowry harassment and domestic abuse is foisted on a good man - and built a case against the law. The story is not juxtaposed against the real cases of scores of women facing domestic abuse and how they struggle to get justice. Moreover, claiming that Section 498A is a bane for all men as it is misused by women is regressive and a slight to all the women who have and are undergoing this plight. Aabhyanthara Kuttavaali has the right idea of talking about men's rights, but the director and the story are truly misguided.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
‘Aabhyanthara Kuttavaali' movie review: A one-sided pamphlet against Section 498A
The way a filmmaker conceives a single sequence can sometimes reveal the entire thought process behind the film. This is especially true of single-agenda films like Aabhyanthara Kuttavaali, the debut directorial of Sethunath Padmakumar. Sahadevan (Asif Ali), the protagonist who is facing a case under Section 498A over dowry harassment and domestic abuse, is shown returning to his wife's family the 100 sovereigns of gold that he got as a 'gift', a modern-day euphemism for dowry. A sentimental background score accompanies this sequence which is framed fully from the man's perspective, although he was earlier shown to have denied his wife's demand for a part of the gold to fund her higher education. Even this demand on her part appears unjust by the way the film looks at it. This sequence fits well with the rest of the film which is an emotional narrative of men 'victimised' by Section 498A. By now, we have a handful of such films, a number significant enough to call them as part of a universe of films proudly carrying the flag of men's rights associations. In most of these films, nuance is shown the way out, with bias welcomed in through the same door. 'Aabhyanthara Kuttavaali' (Malayalam) Director: Sethunath Padmakumar Cast: Asif Ali, Thulasi Haridas, Shreya Rukmini, Sidharth Bharathan, Jagadeesh Run-time: 123 minutes Storyline: A man faced with a fake dowry harrassment case goes to great extents to prove his innocence While it is true that there have been cases of women misusing the law to frame their husbands and claim alimony, the number of such cases are miniscule compared to the actual cases of domestic abuse and dowry harassment even in recent years in Kerala. Yet, in the world of Aabhyanthara Kuttavaali, men of all ages are at the mercy of this law. To convince us, the film provides us with three case studies, including the central one of Sahadevan. Now, a good number of the allegations against Sahadevan, like the one related to domestic abuse, are shown to be fake, which can be reflective of real-life examples. Family court lawyers occasionally make such claims to bolster their side's case. The problem arises when the film generalises this case and gives the protagonist an opportunity to deliver two long preachy speeches inside a courtroom, emphasising how this law has made life hell for men. The accused man has to make this speech because the female advocate (Shreya Rukmini) who is supposed to represent him is too scared to make her point in court. By some sheer coincidence, this lack of voice is a common affliction of all of the female characters in the film, due to which we rarely get to know what any of them thinks. Even Nayana (Thulasi Haridas), Sahadevan's wife, gets only a short monologue towards the end of the film. By the time she gets to speak, the agenda has been well set that the feeble attempt of the makers at appearing to be balanced and gaining some progressive brownie points, seems to be insincere. Even Asif Ali's natural flair in emotional scenes cannot lift this film, partly because it comes in the service of a regressive idea. The only safeguard, perhaps, is that the film intended to spread such ideas is not particularly well-made, with the treatment mirroring that of television soaps. Aabhyanthara Kuttavaali is currently running in theatres
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Abhyanthara Kuttavali movie review: Asif Ali film claims to spotlight ‘issues faced by men'; but is that its true intent?
Abhyanthara Kuttavali movie review: At a crucial moment in debutant director Sethunath Padmakumar's Abhyanthara Kuttavali, Sahadevan (Asif Ali) breaks the fourth wall and tells the audience directly, 'Don't bother reacting; after all, it's a man who died.' He also, during a court hearing, comments on the rising number of suicide cases among men in the country, particularly owing to 'marriage-related problems'. While the well-being of every person, regardless of caste, gender, race or creed, is equally important, and many experts have pointed out that patriarchy harms everyone, including men, Abhyanthara Kuttavali positions itself as an attempt to spotlight issues faced by men. Particularly focusing on how 'fake cases' are slapped on them without humane consideration. However, in all honesty, the film ends up being a brazen attempt to overlook and invisibilise the harassment and crimes women have faced for centuries, mostly at the hands of men, by reducing it all to three cases (including two subplots) told through a masculinist lens, by completely villainising the female characters. Although his marriage to Nayana (Thulasi) was a joyous occasion for Sahadevan, his happiness was short-lived. He soon ends up at the Anthikad police station after she files a complaint accusing him of demanding more dowry and physically abusing her. As a result, the police register a case against him under Section 498A of the IPC (now Sections 85 and 86 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita). As Sahadevan narrates to the police the 'truths' behind the incidents mentioned in the complaint, Abhyanthara Kuttavali cuts to flashbacks, in which we are shown that Nayana, though seemingly happy, has been keeping a distance from Sahadevan since day one. They barely even communicate, let alone have physical intimacy. Nayana soon tells Sahadevan that she wishes to pursue higher studies in the Netherlands, which would help settle there too, and suggests selling the gold ornaments her parents gifted her to fund it. When he objects, she is shown injuring herself. Her parents soon arrive and take her back home, following which she files the complaint. Once the case reaches the court, Sahadevan meets two other men — Peter (Sidharth Bharathan) and Makkar (Harisree Ashokan) — who are also dealing with unfair cases filed against them by their wife and daughter-in-law, respectively, as the system 'only favours the women'. The remainder of the film follows Sahadevan's efforts to prove his innocence. Although Abhyanthara Kuttavali mentions at the start that it is a 'work of fiction', the movie leaves no opportunity to generalise things and give good conduct certificates to men. This is achieved by cleverly portraying the male characters as noble and good-natured, albeit with some flaws like occasional drinking, while most of the women are depicted as apathetic, manipulative and often 'gold diggers'. From Sahadevan, his father Menon (Balachandran Chullikkad), and his friends Yudas (Anand Manmadhan) and Deshavasi (Azees Nedumangad) to Peter and Makkar, all the men are portrayed with sympathy, their moral grey areas conveniently omitted. Even Viswanathan (Jagadeesh), Nayana's lawyer, is ultimately shown in a positive light. In contrast, nearly all the female characters, except for elderly women who conform to the patriarchal norms of the 'ideal mother', are presented as greedy and lacking compassion. To reinforce this, the film even includes a scene where a woman is shown asking Yudas about his financial assets in detail during a pennukaanal (matchmaking visit), prompting him to give a lecture on how women should fend for themselves. In another instance, one of the few self-reliant women in the film, Anila (Shreya Rukmini), an assistant to Sahadevan's advocate, is shown sitting silently in court during the only time she appears on her senior's behalf without speaking up for her client. Although the scene suggests that she is too inexperienced and intimidated to argue in front of Viswanathan, prompting Sahadevan to represent himself, it inadvertently implies that even women who do have a voice choose not to speak up when men are the victims, leaving the latter to fight for themselves. The film is, in fact, packed with similar stereotypical and misogynistic narrative devices that reduce the complex topic of 'issues faced by men' to 'women are misusing the laws (and the freedom they have been 'given')'. It fails to even acknowledge the structural and systemic challenges men face within a patriarchal and elitist society, where only the rich and affluent wield real power. Towards the end, seemingly in an attempt to suggest that the film isn't anti-women, Abhyanthara Kuttavali shows Nayana and one of her friends briefly addressing their life struggles. 'Interestingly', this is one of the few occasions wherein the movie gives the women the chance to narrate their stories. Almost all other times, we are only shown the men's versions. While Nayana's friend shares how she lost a hand due to violence inflicted by her father, Nayana herself recounts how harassment by a teacher made her detest men and marriage altogether, prompting the two to decide to move abroad together and live in freedom. Nayana mentions this as the reason why she agreed to marry Sahadevan, as it would give her complete ownership of the gold gifted by her parents, which would help them fund their dream. However, their stories appear only as passing references, quickly dropped after five minutes. Just a (rhetorical) question to the makers: what about the heinous crimes faced by these women? It is certain that these were only the tip of the iceberg of the torments they faced in life, including many forms of daily sexual harassment. Were their sufferings not as important as Sahadevan's to get more screentime and a bit of empathy? While the film addresses the issue of false cases being filed against men, which in no way should be encouraged, it conveniently overlooks the many, many, many instances of women facing physical and emotional abuse within their own homes, the vast majority of which go unreported. A low conviction rate in such cases does not automatically imply that all cases are fabricated. It's high time we acknowledged that reality. By presenting a one-sided narrative, writer-director Sethunath Padmakumar ensures that Abhyanthara Kuttavali caters to a male audience, particularly those who blindly believe that men's victimhood exists solely because there are legal protections for the oppressed. The film offers these viewers enough 'goosebumps-inducing' moments, especially through quite a few dialogues that denounce alimony. Had men opened their mouths and moved their fingers as diligently and ferociously as they did following the Bengaluru techie suicide of December 2024, the world might have been a better place for all by now. Although Asif Ali delivers a neat performance as Sahadevan, it can't be called impactful, largely because the film relies heavily on dialogues to convey his emotions rather than allowing his acting to speak for itself. Nonetheless, there are moments in Abhyanthara Kuttavali where Asif's strength as a performer in communicating intense emotions through restrained acting shines. Despite limited screen time, Harisree Ashokan makes a strong impression as Makkar. Azees Nedumangad and Anand Manmadhan provide some comic relief, though not all the jokes land consistently. Thulasi, as Nayana, is unfortunately underwhelming. There are several moments in the movie, especially those meant to depict her anger or sorrow, where her portrayal comes across as caricatured. Rahul Raj's background score, however, does manage to elevate Abhyanthara Kuttavali to some extent and prevents it from slipping entirely into preachy territory. Abhyanthara Kuttavali movie cast: Asif Ali, Jagadeesh, Harisree Ashokan, Sidharth Bharathan, Thulasi, Shreya Rukmini Abhyanthara Kuttavali movie director: Sethunath Padmakumar Abhyanthara Kuttavali movie rating: 1.5 stars Anandu Suresh is a Senior sub-editor at Indian Express Online. He specialises in Malayalam cinema, but doesn't limit himself to it and explores various aspects of the art form. He also pens a column titled Cinema Anatomy, where he delves extensively into the diverse layers and dimensions of cinema, aiming to uncover deeper meanings and foster continuous discourse. Anandu previously worked with The New Indian Express' news desk in Hyderabad, Telangana. You can follow him on Twitter @anandu_suresh_ and write (or send movie recommendations) to him at ... Read More
