Written by Ishita Sengupta |New Delhi |Updated: July 18, 2019 12:09:06 pm
Kumbalangi Nights: Toxic masculinity decoded, destroyed
If a hero is what a hero does, he is also the way he is perceived: the gaze not only elevating him but also putting a shroud of impunity over his misconducts. In Kumbalangi Nights, this gaze — unquestionable in its devotion — is corrected.
In one of the most evocative scenes in Kumbalangi Nights, Saji (a brilliant Soubin Shahir) calls out to his younger brother Franky (Mathew Thomas) to ask if the latter could take him to a doctor. “I cannot seem to cry,” he says, as an odd grin hangs on the edge of his lips. It is a particularly moving scene not just because Saji, who had moments before not only witnessed but unwittingly contributed to the sudden death of his closest friend, is numbed by shock and grief. But it also stands out because its arrangement — Saji sitting near the window, and his brother peering from outside — resembles a confession. In Madhu C Narayanan’s film, this confession of needing supervision to emote, to cry becomes the confession of masculinity.
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario