Disclaimer: Written from the writer’s personal world of thought,
these views stand as their own and may or may not reflect ours.
MOLLYWOOD HONOR WITH WOMEN’S BODY
Cinema is often seen as an escape. A place where stories unfold, emotions run deep, and endings feel complete. But sometimes, films don’t feel like fiction at all. They feel uncomfortably real. Especially when they reflect how society treats women—their bodies, their choices, their silence. Across several Malayalam films, one pattern quietly repeats: A crime happens. And somehow, the shame shifts… to the woman.
When “Saving” Meant Silencing
DRISHYAM: A simple, peaceful family. Georgekutty, his wife, and two daughters. Everything changes after a college trip. Not because of something she did. But because someone chose to violate her privacy. A boy secretly records a video of her bathing. And suddenly…Her life is no longer hers. The fear was never the video.It was what the video could do.
To her.
To her future.
To the family’s “honour”.
The mother begs.Not for justice. But for silence.
At one point, she even says:
“If this leaks, we will have to die.”
Think about that. A crime happens. But the shame… shifts to the victim.
what if the mother didn’t fear society over a mistake that wasn’t even her daughter’s? Would the girl have hidden the truth? Would the boy still have ended up dead? And
George kuttty the same genius man, who feared none. But he told his wife “ente makkalde bhaavi” . A man who wasn’t scared to dig a hole under a police station, but too scared to face the world?
When I saw a recent video on Drishyam, I also understood the true depth of the film. The core theme is about a family living in a remote area, surviving and enjoying a simple, peaceful life of their own a family just like everyone else in real life. It is a very beautiful movie, unless and until a man intrudes into a girl’s life.
Look at the parents in the movie. There is Georgekutty, the ideal hero of the film, who is celebrated as a brilliant plot twist from the director. He is a great father, but he is also a man who casually makes sexist jokes. Then there is Rani, the classic Indian mom. She is the mother most daughters can easily relate to, the one who is constantly scared and fears the world. She always feared for her daughters far more than Georgekutty ever did.
Everything in their life changes when Anju is sent on a school trip. Anju is naive and always does everything with her family’s consent. Yet, an unfortunate event occurs to her. It wasn’t her fault for sure, but it showed that the exact thing Rani had been fearing her entire life had already happened.
This is where the movie feels so deeply upsetting to me. Why? Because I have a Rani at home. But unlike Anju, most of us weren’t even sent on trips or anywhere far, not even with our male cousins. In the name of protection, we are restricted from the things we wish we could explore or enjoy. It all stems from the fear that an unfortunate event like Anju’s could occur to any one of us, causing us to lose ourselves, causing our families to lose themselves, or dooming everything we know.
Because of this fear, most girls aren’t even given the exposure to explore real world opportunities in the name of safety. She lives her life in a golden cage simply because of the thousands of Varuns out there. But a cage is always a cage, no matter how much decoration you put on it.
So yes, the movie feels upsetting. Not because of its clever plot, but because of the harsh realism it portrayed, and for injecting even more fear into parents with daughters, giving them just one more concrete reason to restrict them.
When Protection Became "Control"
HITLER: Madhavankutty. The “perfect” brother. Protective. Responsible. Always there for his sisters. But what happens when protection is truly needed? One of his sisters is assaulted by her own professor. A crime. A violation. Madhavankutty is shattered. Not just because of what happened… But because he believes her life is now “over.” The professor even says: “If she had screamed, I would have let her go.” And somehow, the blame quietly shifts… again. Now comes the real question. If he is the protector… why isn’t he protecting her through justice? Instead, he convinces her to marry the same man. A crime becomes a marriage. A rapist becomes a husband.
What if the story was different?
What if he stood by her and said:
“We will fight this.”
What if he chose law over silence? Support over control? Would she be seen impure?
Or just a woman who deserves justice? Maybe protection isn’t about controlling a woman’s future. Maybe it’s about standing with her when the world tries to break her.
Being a brother to many sisters is seen as a “burden” in our society. Somewhere along the way, protection turns into control and that becomes patriarchy. It could have been different, if they were simply allowed to live their lives on their own terms.
When Love Becomes Fear
NOTEBOOK: One of my favorite movies I grew up watching. Friendship, hostel life, small joys… and Pooja’s amma’s food. Simple life. Until love enters. Sreedevi and Sooraj. Unexpected. But also, one of the most beautiful parts of the film. But love had to be hidden. Because in their world, love itself was a risk. One college trip. One moment. And suddenly… her entire life is at stake. Not just because of what happened. But because of what society would say. They studied in a place that felt more like a prison than a college. No space to talk. No space to understand. No space to make mistakes. So, they handled everything alone. In fear and silence.
Well in an alternative world: What if love wasn’t treated like a crime? What if relationships weren’t forced into secrecy? What if sex education was normal? Not taboo. What if they knew what they were doing..and what it could lead to? Would Sreedevi’s life still feel like it was over? Or would it just be a phase she grows through? Wouldn’t sreedevi and sooraj living happier in some corner of the world?
And these strict institutions, were they protecting students? Or leaving them unprepared for real life? One thing the movie got right is Alexandar, Sarah’s dad. The one who stood, believed his daughter. Maybe that’s what protection should look like. Not fear. Not control. But trust.
Do you feel the content disturbing… Then pause for a moment and think:
- When did “honor” become something a woman carries alone?
- Why is silence still seen as strength?
- Who are we really protecting—women, or society’s image?
Love, But at What Cost?
NAMUKKU PARKKAN MUNTHIRITHOPPUKAL: Solomon and Sophia. A love story we all remember as pure. Gentle. Honest. But beneath that love… there’s a painful reality. Sophia carries a trauma. Not something she chose. But something done to her. Yet… She sees herself as “impure.” Not because she did something wrong.
But because society made her feel that way. Solomon, on the other hand… Is seen as “noble” for accepting her. Think about that. A man is praised for loving a woman. While the woman feels she has to be “accepted.” Why is love seen as generosity from a man… and redemption for a woman?
- What if the story felt different?
- What if Sophia never saw herself as “less”?
- What if she didn’t need acceptance…
but only healing? Maybe the problem was never her.
Maybe it was the idea that a woman’s worth can be damaged.
The Weight of Silence
PUTHIYA NIYAMAM: A peaceful family living their normal life, until everything changes when Vasuki is assaulted. What follows is not just trauma, but the silence she carries. She feels like her life is over, not just because of what happened, but because of what it means in society. Even though she stands up for herself and fights for justice, the part that stood out to me was how she had to keep it a secret from her own husband and children. To protect the family’s name, dignity, and honour, she chose to go through everything alone.
In an alternative world, where speaking out was normal and not shameful, she could have fought for justice with support instead of hiding. And even if her husband knew and chose to stay silent, that doesn’t make him noble either; it just shows how silence is often mistaken for strength.
To conclude, movies are fictional stories we often fantasize about or wish could happen in real life. Yet, the films I mentioned don’t feel like fiction at all. They reflect the reality we live in. If these stories were written differently the alternative way I imagined wouldn’t women and girls be living with a little more peace? Without fear? Without silence?
A video becomes a family’s honour. Silence becomes protection. And survival becomes something women have to hide. Even today, many girls aren’t sent on trips. Not always because something unsafe will happen, but to “protect” them from men. But if restriction is the solution to everything…
is that even living?
Comment your thoughts below!
