Ozhivudivasathe Kali (Malyalam)

'I have a history of violence but the public record of it will always be incomplete.' 

The above lines are from Roxane Gay's memoir, Hunger. I couldn't think of better words to quote while talking about a movie that so subtly shows the undisguised violence this casteist society unleashes on its people. It starts with a group of friends who, on an election day, go to a secluded place in the forest to  spend some time together. But it's not a story about friendship. It's a story of how even friendships are shaped in a society where people inherit violence. You're either the victim or the perpetrator. It takes a huge amount of courage and constant unlearning to finally get past everything that this structure expects from you. For the victims, it's a journey that takes away everything they have and strips them of their dignity. It dehumanizes them. They have a history of violence but the public record of the violence that Indian society has subjected its people to will always be incomplete. 




This movie should be watched for several reasons. First, the subject it deals with. Second, the way it handles the subject. Third, the character of Geetha. Her silence and her piercing eyes are so powerful. Whenever the camera shifted to her, I felt restless. I was expecting the expected. As if it was inevitable. As if there's no way someone can survive such vulnerability. Geetha is beautiful. Geetha is powerful. I could feel Geetha. I have seen women like Geetha in my childhood. I have seen men ogling at those women, while the women pretended that everything was fine and carried on with their business. 


Ozhivudivasathe Kali is a movie that shouldn't only be remembered for the subject it deals with but also for the craft of movie making. Sanal Kumar Sasisadharan is an amazing storyteller. I like the way he makes his camera move. You have to be patient to see and enjoy every bit of what he wants to show you. He's never in hurry and you too aren't expected to get unnecessarily restless while listening to the stories. I have watched three of his movies and I liked them all, but Ozhivudivasathe Kali stands out from all the rest.

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