There are not many women characters in the Malayalam movie Aattam, that recently dropped on Amazon Prime Video, but for the female protagonist, Anjali, played by Zarin Shihab. Even while solely focussing on one woman’s travails, this movie stands up for women who have been a victim of men’s actions or the unfair male gaze.

Anjali does not stick to the usual norms set by the society (read men) or her hush-hush boyfriend Vinay, played by Vinay Forrt. She dresses as she pleases, drinks with men, and does not feel the need to restrict herself while socialising with them. All these free-spirited actions come into question when she becomes a victim of sexual harassment, and Aattam gives a fitting reply to the mansplaining that women have to suffer almost on a daily basis.

Aattam's reply to mansplaining

In an important sequence in the movie, directed by debutant Anand Ekarshi, 10 male members of a drama troupe are seated around a table and analysing the course of action after they are told the sole woman in the group has been groped by one of the members.

While some immediately seek his expulsion from the group, the others are dilly-dallying about the nitty-gritties and weighing in on the consequences as the alleged culprit Hari (played by Kalabhavan Shajohn) is a far influential guy then them. Some say why not expel Hari for 6 months and then take him back, while others casually throw in the word of ‘compromise’. All these heated discussions are happening among the men, and the questions that they raise reek of patriarchy.

‘Why did it take her so long to report it?’ - This is not the first time that we have heard this question in real or reel situations. Just because she takes a week to report the incident, the question is thrown at her with an accusatory note with no regard to her mental anguish. In another situation, Anjali is blamed for the kind of clothes she wears and the fact that she had gotten drunk, just a couple of hours before the incident.

Any woman, who has been a victim of harassment, would have faced similar questions, sometimes from the very people she trusts the most. And for Anjali, the troupe has been her home for 16 years, and the place she considers her safe home. That safe home has been wrecked, and she is questioned and criticised by the very people who had been the world to her.

But at no point, does the movie question the actions of Anjali, superbly portrayed by Zarin Shihab, who had also earlier acted in B 32 Muthal 44 Vare. We get to see Anjali’s vulnerabilities after her ordeal and also a strong resolve after the men are exposed for what they really are.

Director Anand Ekarshi, who has all written the movie, has no doubts about which side he is on and Aattam wholeheartedly portrays this sentiment.

Vinay Forrt’s 'boyfriend role’

The character of Vinay is in a relationship with Anjali even when he is going through a divorce. This is a tricky character to pull off and Vinay Forrt, who is easily the more famous of the cast members, does a good job of bringing forth the insecurities of a man who is trying to find a way out of his problems. The questions that he raises on behalf of Anjali sound well-meaning, but the viewers are made aware that he is only using her situation to advance his acting career.

Through Vinay and other characters who initially stand up for Anjali but backtrack later, the movie exposes the real side of people who claim to be feminists or publicly support women, only to sound politically correct. Their resolve to stand up for the woman, who has been part of the group for 16 years, vanishes the moment they hear about a dream foreign trip, courtesy of Hari.

Who is the culprit in Aattam?

As Anjali is literally interrogated by fellow members, other possible suspects emerge. But she walks out on the group and its members, who get the shock of their lives as they are informed that the dream foreign trip was just a prank. As they are left to lick their wounds, Anjali turns her ordeal into a drama performance and declares to the world that she does not want to know who the culprit is and all 11 members are equally guilty.

By not revealing who the real culprit is in this incident, the movie holds the (male) society accountable for the harassment that the women have to face.

Aattam on OTT

Aattam, which was screened at various film festivals before hitting the theatres in January 2024, has already won rave reviews from critics. Aattam is now available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

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