Param Sundari row: When Bollywood went past mullapoo, Mohiniyattam and laal color ki sari to signify Malayalis

Two weeks after the controversy over the 71st National Film Awards, the place The Kerala Story received Best Director and Best Cinematography regardless of important backlash, an identical debate has arisen across the trailer of Param Sundari starring Janhvi Kapoor and Siddharth Malhotra. The criticism focuses on cultural illustration and perceived stereotypes, echoing the sooner outrage.

Adah Sharma’s Shalini Unnikrishnan from Thiruvananthapuram in The Kerala Story is a sufferer of forceful spiritual conversions to affix an Islamic terrorist faction. To emphasise her Malayali identification, she is attired in a half-saree and jasmine flowers in her hair, even to a pub. Shalini’s fluent Hindi is sprinkled with mispronounced Malayalam phrases to “mallufy” the character.

Thekkapetta (or makeupitta, which means sporting make-up, as recorded by few content material creators) Sundari Damodaran Pillai within the Maddock Studios manufacturing adapts just a few strikes from the Shalini Unnikrishnan playbook—a protagonist who’s unable to even accurately pronounce her title, Malayali goons who’re specialists in Kalaripayattu (an indigenous martial arts kind), an plentiful provide of coconut bushes and backwaters, Mohiniyattam, Mohanlal and most significantly, mullapoo (jasmine flower). Phrases resembling “Bloody thenga (coconut)” and “manunni” (fool) had been used within the trailer to additional persuade the viewers that Sundari is a Malayali. The distorted household title may very well be Thekkepattil, which has not been confirmed by the makers but. They have additionally been accused of reporting reels by content material creators who’ve criticised the trailer and questioned the feminine lead’s pronunciation and casting decisions.

According to the newest track, ‘Danger’, from Param Sundari, a brand new notion has been established that Malayalis are harmful sporting pink saris.

Let’s have a look at just a few convincing Malayali characters from Hindi movies, which had a much less polarising tackle the characters from the Southern state.

Preity Zinta as Preeti Nair in ‘Dil Se’ (1998)

The Mani Ratnam movie is the final addition to the veteran filmmaker’s trilogy on terrorism. Dil Se, headlined by Shah Rukh Khan and Manisha Koirala, centered on the insurgency in North East, and Shah Rukh performs radio jockey Amarkanth Varma within the film, who falls in love with Meghna, performed by Manisha, a separatist.

Preity Zinta, in her debut movie, is convincing as a younger Malayali girl. Preeti’s appeal attracts Amar to her, and regardless that her Malayalam is just not good, her characterisation is just not laced with stereotypical quirks. And who can overlook ‘Jiya Jale’, crooned by Lata Mangeshkar, with visuals shot by Santosh Sivan. The Malayalam verse beginning with ‘Punchiri thanji konchiko’, sung by MG Sreekumar, is iconic too.

Preeti’s characterisation is just not weighed down by her linguistic identification, and she or he doesn’t resort to the formulaic “ayyayyo” to convey disappointment. Her use of the phrase “mandan” doesn’t come off as jarring.

Rajkumar Rao as Deepu Sebastian in Aligarh (2015)

Hansal Mehta’s Aligarh, based mostly on the lifetime of Professor Ramachandra Siras, an educational who was discriminated in opposition to as a result of his sexuality, has Manoj Bajpayee and Rajkummar Rao within the lead. Rajkummar’s Deepu Sebastian is a journalist who stumbles upon the professor’s story, whose perspective undergoes a gradual metamorphosis as he interacts with Ramachandra Siras. Aligarh explores the attractive friendship between the 2.

Deepu is a Malayali by origin, and in a single scene, we see him converse easily to his mom in Malayalam, with out drawing a lot consideration to his dialogue supply. The film’s refined nature displays in Rajkumar’s depiction of Deepu, which prevents his character from going over board.

Padmapriya as Radha Menon in Chef (2017)

Released in 2017, the official Hindi remake of the John Favreau directorial Chef (2014) starred Saif Ali Khan within the lead. The film, directed by Raja Krishna Menon, is a couple of chef whose solely ardour is cooking as he fails to spend time along with his estranged son.

Roshan Kalra, performed by Saif, is separated from his spouse, Radha Menon, performed by Padmapriya, and their son Arman. Roshan visits Radha in Fort Kochi, in Kerala, for a second probability along with his son. While Radha is a dance teacher within the film, it isn’t used within the stereotypical sense of fetishizing the occupation. Padmapriya, an actress who has labored primarily in Malayalam movies, is portrayed as a powerful guardian to Arman.

Parvathy Thiruvothu as Jayashree Shashidharan in Qarib Qarib Singlle (2017)

Qarib Qarib Singlle, directed by Tanuja Chandra, is a romcom starring the late Irrfan Khan as Yogendra ‘Yogi’ Kumar Devendra Nath Prajapati and Parvathy because the widowed Jayashree, who cross paths on a relationship web site. The diametrically reverse characters set on a journey to fulfill Yogi’s former lovers, and the film progresses by way of these encounters.

Parvathy, a well-recognized face in Malayalam films, as Jayashree, is a breath of recent air. In a hilarious second, Jayashree yells at Yogi to get off the practice, saying, Vegam erang kazhuthe! (’Get down quick, you donkey’, in good Malayalam). That’s an indicator of variations between the characters. This is one other instance of how a sudden emotion may be expressed in a single’s mom tongue. The specific phrases really feel pure once they aren’t translated instantly by AI.

Neeraj Madhav, Dinesh Prabhakar, and Zarin Shihab in Family Man season 1 (2019)

Creators Raj & DK have been lauded for his or her insistence on precisely representing the cultures of their characters. The casting of Vijay Sethupathi as Michael in Farzi and the Malayali trio of Neeraj Madhav, Dinesh Prabhakar, and Zarin Shihab within the first season of Family Man is a testomony to this high quality.

Manoj Bajpayee as Srikant Tiwari, a senior officer within the National Investigative Agency, headlines the collection. Moosa Rahman and Asif, performed by Neeraj Madhav and Dinesh Prabhakar, respectively, are two terrorists. Moosa, initially thought-about trivial to the phobia mission, is later discovered to be one of many key gamers. The actor pulls off a convincing efficiency in conning the duty drive and doesn’t fall prey to irksome gimmicks stereotyping the group.

Zarin Shihab performs Sahaya Mary, a nurse who falls for Moosa, in her onscreen debut.

Pearle Maaney as Sheeja Thomas in ‘Ludo’ (2020)

Another Malayali nurse character that stays with the viewers is Pearle Maaney as Sheeja Thomas in Anurag Basu’s Ludo. Rahul Avasthi, performed by Rohit Saraf, and Sheeja, are on the run, chased by Sattu Bhaiya (Pankaj Tripathi). The duo is unable to speak with each other as Sheeja doesn’t know Hindi. In one of many scenes, Sheeja even shares a second with a Malayali DJ and instantly begins vibing to Malayalam songs.

Sheeja in Ludo is the right instance of a unusual character in an offbeat film. The maker doesn’t fall again on the rapid coconut oil and “Malayalis are alcoholics” gags. But he reveals Sheeja getting unhinged beneath the affect and dancing with a fellow Malayali. This is in truth an ode to a recognized Malayali trait of discovering one other Malayali from a crowd, and asking them “Nattil evdeya? (Where are you from in Kerala?)”.

Kani Kusruthi and Divya Prabha as Prabha and Anu, respectively, in ‘All We Imagine as Light’ (2024)

All We Imagine as Light, by Payal Kapadia, gained international consideration by profitable the Cannes Grand Prix, exploring the lives of two Malayali nurses in Mumbai. The movie options dialogues in Malayalam and Hindi. It boasts a forged of proficient actors from Kerala, resembling Kani Kusruthi, Divya Prabha, Hridhu Haroon, and Azeez Nedumangad.

Kani as Prabha and Divya as Anu had been lauded for his or her impactful performances delving into the nuances of relationships and intimacy, exploring the lives of migrants who transfer to Mumbai, hoping for an improved dwelling normal.

Similar to Aligarh, All We Imagine as Light’s magnificence lies in its subtlety. Both the actors are Malayalis and are in a position to convey the feelings of displacement as skilled by these round them in real-life, aligning with a extra lifelike illustration.