''Stand Up'' is a 2019

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...

-language film directed by

Vidhu Vincent Vidhu Vincent is an Indian film director, writer, journalist and theatre activist from Kerala. She made her feature film debut with the Malayalam film ''Manhole'', which won her that year's Kerala State Film Award for Best Director. At the 21st ...

. It tells the story of Keerthi (

Nimisha Sajayan Nimisha Sajayan (born 4 January 1997) is an Indian actress in the Malayalam film industry. Nimisha made her acting debut with the film '' Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum'' directed by Dileesh Pothan. She won the Kerala State Film Award for Best A ...

), an aspiring stand-up comedian, who is trying to find opportunities for her shows amidst several difficulties.

Plot

Keerthi, an aspiring stand-up comedian, narrates the story of her friend Diya who was attacked in an apartment and is branded a victim. Keerthi is at a stage where many stand-up comedians are presenting their acts. She starts with the typical stand-up comedy and talks about her family. Her brother Amal and her friend Diya are in a relationship. However, there is always a friction between them as Amal considers Diya to be more fond of her friends. Things go downhill at times. Amal convinces his mother to agree to their marriage and he meets Diya to tell her. Diya tells him that she has been admitted to Delhi University and is going to pursue the same. Amal is enraged because he had previously told Diya not to. Things become very bad and eventually they break up, but Amal is still not willing to let go. Sujith asks Diya to his flat for a final talk. Amal tells Sujith off and begins to talk to Diya angrily. He assaults her and leaves her unconscious. Sujith is framed for the rape and there is immense pressure on Diya to refrain from legal proceedings. Keerthi is forced to leave her home for supporting Diya. They come together to find justice for Diya.

Cast

Reception

The Times of India ''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest ...

'' said that the film is "a brave female perspective on addressing abuse" and rated it 3.5 out of 5. A review in ''

The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...

'' praised the film for similar reasons; as did ''

The New Indian Express ''The New Indian Express'' is an Indian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper published by the Chennai-based Express Publications. It was founded in 1932 as ''The Indian Express'', under the ownership of Chennai-based P. Varadarajulu Naid ...

'', that found the film "disturbing, enraging and uplifting all at once." but its first half weaker than the second. The website ''Lensmen Reviews'' also praised the film’s message but criticised its ’amateurish’ production.

The News Minute ''The News Minute'' is an Indian digital news platform based in Bangalore, Karnataka. It was founded by Dhanya Rajendran, Chitra Subramaniam and Vignesh Vellore in 2014. Apart from Karnataka, it also has bureaus in the states of Telangana, And ...

recalled the film had been criticised for its writing but that "Rajisha (Vijayan)'s performance as Diya, a sexual assault survivor, was appreciated", characterising her performance as "raw" and finding that her acting as well as Nimisha Sajayan's one were among the main assets of the film. ''Cinema express'' too praised the actress's performance in the film.

References

{{reflist 2019 films 2010s Malayalam-language films Indian drama films 2019 drama films