The silent glances, gestures, brevity of dialogues, every little detail in the movie Kaathal - The Core pull you right in—including the desperation felt in the audible sighs the characters let out. Even the pictures on the wall set the narrative. The Jeo Baby-directorial, which was released in theatres on November 23, has now grossed Rs 5 crore.
The movie starring superstar Mammootty and Jyothika has been well-received, but it also is facing a lot of trolls. The movie has been receiving criticism from conservative quarters of society. Jeo isn't new to criticism, he faced negative comments after the release of The Great Indian Kitchen too, which shined a light on the imbalance of division of labour at home.
Director Jeo Baby talks to THE WEEK about facing criticism and more:
Q. There has been some hate from conservative quarters of the society as expected. You aren't new to this. Does it affect you?
Haters don't affect me. What affects me, or rather what matters to me, are reviews from society in general and I do pay heed to it, and listen to what they have to say. I don't necessarily respond to it. But I do listen to and accept genuine reviews of the film. I don't need to bother about the rest. The movie is getting a lot of positive reviews, and several negative and mixed reviews as well. I do understand all the points of view. But, I generally stay away from hate-driven comments and those on the basis of religion.
Q. The use of photos on walls, and subtle gestures, add depth to the narrative. Please talk about the symbolism behind these choices and the visual language of the film?
I am happy that you noticed the pictures. If you look at the house, there's a picture of a nun (kanyasthree). That establishes the fact that the family is socially known and respected, especially for those who look from the outside. This also sort of gives the answers to why Omana (Jyothika) waited so long to file a divorce petition. These symbols reinforce the fact that the villagers find it difficult to accept the situation, the truth.
Q. A few words on your long-term collaborator Salu K Thomas, the cinematographer.
Salu is a close friend, so, communicating with him is easy. A lot of times, we are on the same page as to how things should be done. For example, in Kaathal the way he pans from one character to the next; cinematography that involves camera movement in a way that everything is connected. It has been very easy to communicate with Salu. He always gets what I want from the movie.
Q. Any notable conversations with Mammootty on set you look fondly back at?
I went on a diet and started working out quite a bit while I was shooting Kaathal. So Mammootty once told me, “You can eat what you want to, but not how much you want to.” So this has impacted me, on my journey to leading a healthy life.
Q. This movie talks about homosexuality, but, with politics in the background. How do you see the role of cinema in or reflecting societal perceptions?
Well, when The Great Indian Kitchen was released, men put up a lot of posters stating that they were going to wash the dishes and so on. However, I'm not entirely sure what sort of a social impact movies like this can have. It does affect us to a certain extent though. Change does not and will not happen because of just one movie. It would happen if more such movies and made, and then, probably a ripple effect would be created. That said, filmmakers, today are very aware, they do not want to put random content out there.
Q. A filmmaker you admire.
K.G. George.
Q. In a world saturated with various forms of entertainment, your movies tend to engage the audience emotionally and intellectually. Are you afraid of being boxed into a certain type of cinema?
Yes, I do feel I might get boxed into that category and therefore, am attempting to shift to more commercial films. I want to shift to other genres. I would very much like to do a thriller or a comedy. And I am purposefully trying to make the shift.
Q. From the moment Mammootty agreed to do the film and Jyothika was announced as the female lead, it brought a broader audience to the film. Was it a conscious decision to piggyback on a huge star to increase the reach of the message?
Mammootty and Jyothika are obviously big stars and have a great reach. And it is because of that, the movie is doing well. I wanted Mammootty to do the film. So when he comes in, it will definitely affect the movie in a certain way. He was definitely the only choice for the film.