Moothon - A Film review

Moothon - A Film Review

Moothon, directed by Geetu Mohandas and produced by a collective group, was one of the most discussed movies of the year 2019. In one unprecedented singular focus, the movie can be intelligibly explicated as a robust social-reality drama, reeling towards the injustice spanning within our societies. A strong outcry for the marginalised groups within us has been showcased with much verve and vigour throughout the movie. However, the compression of innumerable themes into a movie of around 117 minutes was where the plot started embarking on its wobbly journey despite its sturdy performance. 

The story is juxtaposed between the island of Lakshadweep and the filthy narrow streets of Mumbai. The layout of the story swings between past memories and present impediments of life. The story commences when a little boy named Mulla leaves the comforts of his island in search of his long lost big brother Muthoon. The turbulent events that follow forms the major core of the storyline. The basic question that shuttles throughout the movie is whether Mulla would be able to find his brother within the narrow mucky lanes of Mumbai slums. 

To begin with, Moothon fences in itself a plethora of emerging themes ranging from gender politics to unseen bonds. The movie stands as a springboard to which many of the predicaments of the current world is attached to. This could be one of the recent movies in Malayalam Industry where Transvestism comes out in its lashing methodologies where the thresholds of familial spatiality within a social orb is interrogated or rather put to a questionable platform which compels us to ponder over. The marginalisation faced by transgenders and the plaintive dilemma of being placed in a society which hesitates to give its consensus with binaries is also put forth in the movie. However, one of the best part of the movie is its romantic strings which has discreetly crossed the customary borders and has shifted to the new contours. One of the most elegantly portrayed scenes is obviously the one which voices this relationship. Despite taking a tremulous ride, which is far away from the mainstream construction, the movie has submerged the concept of hegemonic masculinity through this amorous entanglement. Nevertheless, the deadly macabre of shadows within the discourses of sexuality including sexual violence and child abuse too have been powerfully depicted as a climacteric segment within the movie structure. 

The scenic nuances within the locations of Kamathipura surges within the convolutedness behind prostitution and how most women end up in those shady shells quite contradictory to their strong dreams and sturdy ambitions. The unending, obscured bond that exists between siblings is yet another thread that has been cut open in the movie. The shallow crime scenes in Mumbai slums, the oblivious charm of disillusioned romance cycles and the ginormous racket that sustains itself through child trafficking too had been dealt with. 

Despite the complexities within the thematic structure of the plot, the characters have exhibited an unabating stance to the way in which their characters have been executed. Nivin Pauly, definitely has blown out of proportion in portraying his sturdy role of “Bhai” in Mumbai slums. Pauly indeed goes a step further from his chocolaty-role to a more muscular and distinctive character delineation of an insensitive small-time-King of a slum who gradually weakens to some of the hidden consciousness that slowly engulfs him. Perhaps, this would be one of the best performances carried out by Nivin Pauly. Roshan Mathews, on the other hand demands a greater love from the part of his audience where he excels as an unsurpassed actor both in his characterisation as well as his expressive smiles through which the whole set of scenes blooms up with. Though not in a major role, Dileesh Pothan too contributes much with his adroitness which fills his character throughout the plot. 

If the movie is to be analysed part by part, the subject matters involved in fact could have ignited manifold spaces for creating at least ten movies from the core of its crux and that is exactly where the plot gets a cold feet. To look at all the themes incorporated, we will have to start right from where religion begins till humanity ends which indeed is a hellish propulsion of ideas for an ordinary two hour movie. The plot looks into Homosexuality, Complexities of Transgenders, Child trafficking and Child abuses at its most horrifying phases coupled with familial bonds, Crimes, suicide, prostitution, Transvestism, Gender Politics, Dance Bars, Social hierarchy and many many more. The conclusive truth is that since many themes were glued together, the final outcome banged  a boom without touching any of the mentioned themes relatively in a dense, compact style. 

Moothon is definitely a watchable movie but with no particular swifts and twirls and with an accurately mystifying denouement which stands parallel to the obnoxiousness that our society breathes out. A musty orphanage, a frightening pedophile, the dreamy eyes of a prostitute, the aspirations of a child, the small time ambition that money plays in with, the rigmaroles of being a murky Don within Mumbai streets, the gay romance that creates chill over the spines, the unending search for one’s own blood-tie, the advantages of cross dressing in a society which gives a gruesome account of rape and prostitution, the contrast between the haven in Lakshadweep and the grubby streets of Mumbai, a journey of self discovery, self-flagellation and the concepts of Tatbir and what more!!…….Too much for a time span of 117 minutes….!!!

Being in the pedestal of an average viewer just in the platform of an aesthetic experience, the movie falls flat terribly to offer any of those exquisite experiences. But, to dissect it from a profound context of Queer theory, Feminism, Gender Politics and underworld gimmicks - it stands out as a brilliant movie with its intersectional intricacies and functionalities swinging from one edge to the other. All said and done, I personally would prefer a movie which could entice an engaging experience to the aesthetic mind of an ordinary viewer who cannot understand the greater complexities and significance remaining within the contexts of a confused social entity. If a movie cannot reach and touch the intelligibility of the lower realms of a society ( probably someone who cannot relate it with the greater theoretical approaches behind textual analysis) and as long as a movie cannot roll itself into a coherent pattern, it fails undoubtedly. 

Despite the faulty scales that it bends through, Geethu Mohandas has sprung up as a veteran in her directorial sublimity in this movie. Nonetheless, the vibrance could have been etched in a more exotic way, had it been redesigned into a Web series as it had enough boiling points to trigger multiple episodes and seasons which could have sensibly portrayed all of the themes in its veracity. (We should have thought about it before “Pataal Lok” dived in )

Though the ride can be really perilous, it will definitely stir up a question mark between the existence of a social being and his societal dimensions which inadvertently casts a shadow upon. him/her. With a meticulous direction and with the stunning performance by the characters, the movie will definitely leave you with a number of unanswered questions lurking in our minds.

NB: Thanks to a  student of mine...who instigated me to watch this movie. :)

A. Krishna Sunder