Njan Marykutty Review: Preachy, but an important movie for the society
Ranjith Sankar and Jayasurya with their previous collaborations have established themselves as a trusted brand. Their latest outing Njan Marykutty raised a lot of curiosity prior to its release, majorly due to the fact that it is perhaps the first mainstream Malayalam movie about a transsexual’s life. Let’s see how the movie has fared out to be.
Njan Marykutty tells the story of a woman trapped in a man’s body. Born as Mathukutty, this 27-year-old techie undergoes a sex-change surgery to become Marykutty. How our society sees such a person and what all issues they face are discussed in the movie, that has a loud preachy tone to it. Like one of Jayasurya-Ranjith Sankar team’s earlier films Su.. Su.. Sudhi Vathmeekam, which had the protagonist as a stammerer, Njan Marykutty is also a motivational story that is ultimately about fighting against all the odds to emerge triumphant.
The margin of error was very small here, anything beyond the thin line would have become vulgarity. So due appreciation for Ranjith Sankar and Jayasurya for such a sensible portrayal of the third gender. On the downside, there is hardly any space for cinematic aesthetics here as ‘messages’ are fired one after another.
Marykutty’s sister Annie’s marriage is fixed with a government employee. That is when the groom’s side come to know about Marykutty and her sexuality. Upset with this, the groom’s family decide to call off the wedding unless the dowry amount is increased. Eventually, the girl’s family agree to the proposal and they get married. In a movie like this, which is publicized as an eye-opener for the society, such a shameless practice should have been opposed, or did the makers intend to display it as a reflection of the society that we live in?
Apart from some inspiring songs, composed by Anand Madhusoodhanan, none of the other departments of filmmaking, be it cinematography or editing, manage to leave a mark. However, if the sole aim of the makers was to address a relevant social message, then they have succeeded in doing so.
Jayasurya has visibly put in a lot of efforts to make sure that it does not look like another mimicry act of a man playing a woman for the sake of a few laughs. Malayalam cinema is notorious for celebrating lame jokes and poking fun at the LGBT community. Here, Ranjith Sankar and Jayasurya have done wonderfully well to present Marykutty as a dignified personality who stands up for her rights. Joju George as the despicable police officer Kunjipalu has given yet another impressive performance. Siddhartha Siva’s characterization was offensive. Innocent, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Aju Varghese, Jewel Mary and Sivaji Guruvayoor are also there in supporting roles.
Overall, Njan Marykutty is a motivational film that has its share of moments. More than anything, a movie like Marykutty is relevant for the society we live in. For that alone, one should take their kids and families along to watch the movie.
