Its interesting to see how Malayalam film makers are coming up with creative ways to deal with sensitive topics. Its a clever attempt dealing with patriarchal mindset and domestic violence. The first half sets a stage and the second half is loaded with fun.
You can't question the reliability of the subject and familiarity of the characters. Its what we have heard, seen and experienced in various shapes and form. The story begins portraying the life of Jaya from her childhood days. You will see the typical middle class family setup here. Her life and choices are decided by men in the family. This is womens lifes after all, adjust maadi message is evident all through the story.
Things takes a big turn when one of the incident forces her family to go for an arranged marriage. She seems a glimmering hope as her husband seems to show some support to purse her dreams. But he is not the kind of person she expected. He is hot headed and on top of that the typical banal gesture of slap becomes a norm followed by impulsive behavioral excuses. The conditioning part of shaadi mein sab kuch chalta hain and forcing her to manage things from family continues. Lack of support and understanding of her situation makes the the emotional trauma of the character more painful.
But after a point, a retaliation kicks in and thats where the second half and film changes the narrative format. The quickest way to a man’s mind and heart is through his stomach, dont take it in literal terms, this is a pivotal turning point in the film. And from there on, the film is loaded with unexpected humor and the courage growth is shown in an interesting way. The court room scene was a lit. Like The Great Indian Kitchen the climax stands out. It sprinkles hope and what lies ahead. A stand out performance from Basil Joseph as a male chauvinist and the transformation journey of Darshana Rajendran as Jaya was a treat to watch. A special mention goes to the character who plays MIL, she was like a Chameleon. Barring few over the top scenes and a slight drag to make a point, i dont have much to complain.
Verdict - 3.5/5(Determined To Live)