A still from ‘B 32 Muthal 44 Vare’ | Photo Credit: Kerala State Film Development Corporation
One can choose to drill down into the message that is meant to be conveyed with loud, preachy melodrama, or lay it down softly without compromising much on the craft. In B 32 Muthal 44 VareDebutant director Sruthi Sharanyam opted for the latter, while effectively drawing on body politics. The title alludes to the bust sizes of the main characters, as each of them is facing different issues related to it.
With the episodic nature of the narrative, one gets the impression from the very beginning that these are women from different strata of society, who are not related to each other. But once the introductions are done, the episodes are over, as their stories come together, we get the feeling that these are people who have known each other for a long time and have put together a series of events for the convenience of the audience. We weren’t made to talk to each other. script.
B 32 Muthal 44 Vare (Malayalam)
director: Shruti Sharanyam
mold: Ramya Nabisan, Anarkali Marikar, Ashwathi, Zareen Shibab, Krishna Kurup, Raina Radhakrishnan, Harish Uthaman
Order: 108 minutes
Story: Six women are forced to navigate their lives through emotional, physical and psychological issues, as well as deal with their insecurities about their bodies
Imaan (Zareen Shihab) faces an uncertain future at her job in the hospitality sector, as her boss points out that her physical attributes are inadequate, while Jiya (Anarkali Marikar), a trans man’s troubles are just the opposite. Imaan’s troubles increase when she stands up for Rachel (Krishna Kurup), an aspiring actor who faces sexual harassment from a director. Malini (Ramya Nambisan) feels shunned by her husband Vivek (Harish Uthaman) ever since she underwent a mastectomy. Jaya (Ashwathi), a domestic help, is forced by her circumstances to take a drastic career change, but then adapts to it beautifully. Nidhi (Raina Radhakrishnan), a teenager, is grappling with various issues after giving birth to a baby boy.
It may sound like too much for one movie to handle, but nowhere does a scriptwriter seem to be tackling a checklist of issues. Because this film is not about such issues, rather it is about people and how they deal with the awkward situations they are stuck in. , We are not even told his backstory, as what the film focuses on is something else. its handling of homosexuality is also not as jarring and ignorant as it is in Demonbut as delicate and sympathetic Geetu Mohandas peeing, The way it normalizes modeling as a career and addresses the social taboos associated with it is also noteworthy.
KG George’s classic also misses adminte varielu, which centered on a few women struggling in their own way against patriarchy, sometimes perishing after failing to confront it. Although the issues are very different here, and the women are mostly waging a quiet rebellion, the spirit of that film and some other initiatives in Malayalam cinema are felt here. Produced under the Kerala State Film Development Corporation’s (KSFDC) initiative to fund women filmmakers, it is a film that underlines the need for more women writers and filmmakers to tell their stories. The two scenes involving the two boys that are used to bookend the film also tell us why we need more of these conversations.
B 32 Muthal 44 Vaare is currently running in theaters