''Kaathal – The Core'' is a 2023 Indian
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...
-language
courtroom drama
Legal drama, also called courtroom drama, is a genre of film and television that generally focuses on narratives regarding legal practice and the justice system. The American Film Institute (AFI) defines "courtroom drama" as a genre of film in wh ...
film directed by
Jeo Baby
Jeo Baby is an Indian film director, screenwriter and actor who works in Malayalam cinema, Malayalam films. His family drama film ''The Great Indian Kitchen'' (2021) won the 51st Kerala State Film Awards, 51st Kerala State Film Award for Kerala ...
and written by Adarsh Sukumaran and Paulson Skaria. Produced by Mammootty Kampany, the film stars
Mammootty
Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail (born 7 September 1951), known mononymously by the hypocorism Mammootty (), is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam-language films. He has also appeared in Tamil, Telugu, ...
and
Jyothika
Jyothika Saravanan (; born 18 October 1978) is an Indian actress and producer who primarily works in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu films. She has received several accolades including a National Film Award, five Filmfare Awards South, four Tamil N ...
in lead roles. Sudhi Kozhikode, RS Panickar, Joji John,
Muthumani
Muthumani Somasundaran is an Indian actress who mainly works in Malayalam films. She made her cinematic debut through the Malayalam film '' Rasathanthram'' directed by Sathyan Anthikkad's in 2006.
Early life and education
Muthumani was born ...
,
Chinnu Chandni and
Kalabhavan Haneef
Kalabhavan Haneef (1959 or 1960 – 9 November 2023) was an Indian actor and Impressionist (entertainment), impressionist in Malayalam cinema. He made his debut with the film ''Cheppukilukkana Changathi'' (1991).
Career
Haneef started imper ...
played the other supporting roles.
The film was officially announced in October 2022 and
principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
commenced in the same month and
wrapped up in November 2022. The music was composed by Mathews Pulickan. Francies Louis handled the editing while the cinematography was done by Salu K. Thomas.
''Kaathal – The Core'' was released on 23 November 2023 and opened to positive reviews from critics praising the performances of Jyothika and Mammootty. It emerged as a commercial success at box office.
The team made a success party with a graceful event and star's get together including Jyothika and Mammootty. This movie is also marked as the final film appearance of veteran actor
Kalabhavan Haneef
Kalabhavan Haneef (1959 or 1960 – 9 November 2023) was an Indian actor and Impressionist (entertainment), impressionist in Malayalam cinema. He made his debut with the film ''Cheppukilukkana Changathi'' (1991).
Career
Haneef started imper ...
.
Plot
Mathew Devassy, a retired bank manager lives with his family of four - his wife, Omana, daughter, Femy, and father, Devassy, leading a respectable life in his village. Thanks to his father's contribution towards the CR Party, Mathew is given a chance to contest the Local Village Body elections. One evening, he discovers that Omana has filed a
divorce
Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganising of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the M ...
petition against him alleging that he is
homosexual
Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" exc ...
. Upon confronting that it might hinder his election candidature, Omana says that she had filed it two months ago. They approach for a speedy trial in the
Family Court
Family courts were originally created to be a Court of Equity convened to decide matters and make orders in relation to family law, including custody of children, and could disregard certain legal requirements as long as the petitioner/plaintif ...
, where Omana had filed the petition alleging that he has not fulfilled her marital obligations, but was perfect in raising a family. The respondent lawyer asks her the number of times they had intercourse, to which she replies four - in their entire twenty years of marital life.
Upon questioning the need for a divorce then, the representing lawyer argues that Mathew would have been accused of committing a crime if she had filed the petition earlier according to the then existing law (IPC 377). Mathew denies his homosexuality and relationship with Thankan, his alleged partner accused in the case, during the cross-checking by the prosecution. Thankan, who owns a driving school, expresses anguish that his sexual orientation is different and that his school is flooded by only women. His nephew, Kuttayi, breaks down facing harassment and bullying in school. Meanwhile, the party is puzzled about Mathew's election campaigning.
As the case proceeds, Devassy is called upon as a direct witness and accepts that his son has been a homosexual since his childhood and the marriage was pressurized by him due to the expectations of the society. That night, Devassy bursts into tears and agrees that he was responsible for the mishappenings of his son's life. Mathew apologises to Omana and implores that he was afraid to come out. Omana says that she wanted a divorce to rescue them both from this meaningless family life; they both shed tears. The next day, as they sign the divorce papers, Mathew comes out as a gay man and proceeds to campaign for the elections.
Post the elections, the victorious Mathew is seeking a potential groom for Omana, with Thankan as his partner.
Cast
Production
Development
In August 2022,
Jeo Baby
Jeo Baby is an Indian film director, screenwriter and actor who works in Malayalam cinema, Malayalam films. His family drama film ''The Great Indian Kitchen'' (2021) won the 51st Kerala State Film Awards, 51st Kerala State Film Award for Kerala ...
was rumoured to direct a film starring
Mammootty
Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail (born 7 September 1951), known mononymously by the hypocorism Mammootty (), is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam-language films. He has also appeared in Tamil, Telugu, ...
and
Jyothika
Jyothika Saravanan (; born 18 October 1978) is an Indian actress and producer who primarily works in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu films. She has received several accolades including a National Film Award, five Filmfare Awards South, four Tamil N ...
in lead roles. However, he denied it as a rumour. In late-September, Baby confirmed that he would be directing Mammootty in a film produced by Mammootty Kampany, for which the pre-production works had already begun. Jyothika was yet to sign the film as the casting process was underway. On 18 October, the title of the film was announced and Jyothika's inclusion was confirmed, thereby marking her return to
Malayalam cinema
Malayalam cinema, also referred to as Mollywood, is a segment of Cinema of India, Indian cinema dedicated to producing films in the Malayalam, Malayalam language, primarily spoken in Kerala and the Lakshadweep islands. It encompasses both th ...
after a hiatus of 12 years, since ''
Seetha Kalyanam'' (2009). Jeo said that it was the first time that he was working on a script that was not his own. But when he heard the story, he liked it and then approached Mammotty to play the lead role. While considering options for a leading lady to play the role of the wife, Mammootty suggested casting Jyothika. The writing team included Adarsh Sukumaran and Paulson Skaria. Jeo retained most of his technicians from his film ''
The Great Indian Kitchen'' (2021) including cinematographer Salu K. Thomas, editor Francies Louis and music composer Mathews Pulickan.
Filming
Principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
began on 20 October 2022 in
Kochi
Kochi ( , ), List of renamed Indian cities and states#Kerala, formerly known as Cochin ( ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the Ernakulam district, district of Ernakulam in the ...
with a customary
pooja ceremony. Jyothika joined the sets on 27 October. Mammootty completed filming for his portions on 18 November while Jyothika's was completed on 20 November. Filming was
wrapped up on 22 November 2022, in a span of 34 days.
Post-production
Post-production works began in late-January 2023. In March 2023,
K. S. Chithra recorded a song composed by Mathews Pulickan.
Release
The
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...
version of the film was released on 23 November 2023, while
Hindi
Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
,
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
People, culture and language
* Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka
** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
,
Telugu and
Kannada
Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, and is additionally a ...
languages released on 5 January 2024 in
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...
.
Reception
The film was praised by some members of the LGBT community for its portrayal of the gay character, but people from anti-LGBT groups commented negatively on Mammootty's social media pages criticising the actor for his role and asking for a boycott of the film. Muslim clerics and Christian priests also criticized the film's representation of homosexuality, suggesting that it would "brainwash the youth".
Critical response
''Kathal - The Core'' received mostly positive reviews from critics.
Anandu Suresh of ''
The Indian Express
''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932 by P. Varadarajulu Naidu. It is headquartered in Noida, owned by the ''Indian Express Group''. It was later taken over by Ramnath Goenka. In 1999, eight y ...
'' gave 4 out of 5 stars and wrote, "''Kaathal – The Core'' is a groundbreaking film that should be watched by all, particularly those in the film industry who continue to present recycled age-old narratives, expecting unquestioning acceptance from the audiences." Janani K. of ''
India Today
''India Today'' is a weekly Indian English-language news magazine published by Living Media, Living Media India Limited. It is the most widely circulated magazine in India, with a readership of close to 8 million. In 2014, ''India Today'' laun ...
'' gave 4 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Kaathal - The Core''
' is not just about the coming out, it's also about how these characters move on in life after the divorce. The last shot is dedicated to all the LGBTQIA+ members." Sajin Shrijith of ''
Cinema Express
''Cinema Express'' was an Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language entertainment fortnightly magazine published from Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It was a part of The New Indian Express, The New Indian Express Group, which also publishes ''Samakalika Mal ...
'' gave 4 out of 5 stars and wrote, "''Kaathal'' is arguably the most daring attempt from Malayalam cinema so far, mainly owing to one of its biggest superstars spearheading a film that asks some much-needed questions about a complex topic that doesn't have to be so."
Anna Mathews of ''
The Times of India
''The Times of India'' (''TOI'') is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by the Times Group. It is the List of newspapers in India by circulation, third-largest newspaper in India by circulation an ...
'' gave 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Good movies can make society think and even initiate change. ''Kaathal - The Core'' might be one such." Sukanya Shaji of ''
The News Minute
''The News Minute'' is an Indian digital news platform based in Bangalore, Karnataka. It was founded by Vignesh Vellore who is also the current CEO in 2014. Apart from Karnataka, it also has bureaus in the states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, ...
'' gave 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote, "The heart of ''Kaathal - The Core'' is, undoubtedly, the relationship between Mammootty's Mathew Devassy and Jyothika's Omana, and the heartbreaking dignity with which they help each other out of their predicaments." Manoj Kumar R. of ''
OTTPlay
HT Media is an Indian mass media company based in Delhi. It has holdings in print, electronic and digital media. HT Media's flagship newspaper is the ''Hindustan Times'', the second most widely read English newspaper in India after ''The Times of ...
'' gave 4 out of 5 stars and wrote, "''Kaathal – The Core'' navigates through a myriad of sensitive subjects and personal choices deeply influenced by the age-old societal concern of "What will people say?"."
S. R. Praveen of ''
The Hindu
''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It was founded as a weekly publication in 1878 by the Triplicane Six, becoming a daily in 1889. It is one of the India ...
'' wrote, "'
''Kaathal'
'' beautifully uses a conventional family drama setting to tackle a subject that is still largely a taboo in the industry and the larger society; it is quite a triumph in that sense." Princy Alexander of ''
Onmanorama'' wrote, "Just like Nivin Pauly and Geethu Mohandas's ''Moothon'', Kaathal The Core''
' will be remembered for its unconventional theme and for lending Mammootty one more praise-worthy character in his illustrious career." Sarath Ramesh Kuniyl of ''
The Week
''The Week'' is a weekly news magazine with editions in the United Kingdom and United States. The British publication was founded in 1995 and the American edition in 2001. An Australian edition was published from 2008 to 2012. A children's edi ...
'' gave 4.5 out of 5 stars and wrote, "''Kaathal – The Core'' is a watershed moment in Malayalam cinema, much like ''The Great Indian Kitchen''. Both Baby and Mammootty have shattered a glass ceiling, the sound of which, one hopes, will reverberate loudly in the society and for long."
Nikhil Sebastian of ''
Pinkvilla
Pinkvilla is an Indian entertainment and lifestyle platform. As of June 2022, Pinkvilla has over 50,000,000 visitors on its website and app.
Overview
Pinkvilla covers entertainment and lifestyle stories. Its coverage extends to Hindi cinema, ...
'' gave 4 out of 5 stars and wrote, "''Kaathal'' stands as another masterpiece from Jeo Baby and Mammootty. With a compelling plot and a poignant subject, the movie succeeds in establishing a strong emotional connection with the audience throughout its two-hour runtime." Harshini S. V. of ''
Film Companion
Anupama Vinod Chopra () is an Indian author, journalist and film critic who served as the festival director of the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival from 2015 to 2023. She is also the founder and editor of the now-defunct digital platform Film Compani ...
'' wrote, "''Kaathal – The Core'' speaks about the struggles of coming out and addresses the need for acceptance in a conventional society. And if that's not bold and progressive, I am not sure what is." Priyanka Sundar of ''
Firstpost
Firstpost is an Indian news website owned by Network18 Group, which also runs CNN-News18 and CNBC TV18. It has posted misinformation on multiple occasions.
The Network 18 group was originally owned by Raghav Bahl. In January 2012, the gro ...
'' gave 4 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Joe Baby, the director who also gave us the ''Great Indian Kitchen'' masterfully depicts the life of Omana and Mathew so sensibly and with a sensitive approach. It is rare to see a film so well made when it centers on a relationship — especially one that is forced to stick with heteronormativity."
Analysing the movie, Sajesh Mohan of ''
Onmanorama'' wrote "In ''Kaathal - The Core'', Jeo Baby's writers Adarsh Sukumaran and Paulson Skaria occasionally resort to the FAQ format to elucidate the necessity of proper understanding and acceptance of sexual orientation. However, it's not these preaching sessions that drive the point home; it's the characters." Sujatha Narayanan of ''
The Quint
''The Quint'' is an English and Hindi language Indian general news and opinion website founded by Raghav Bahl and Ritu Kapur after their exit from Network18. The publication's journalists have won three Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism ...
'' wrote "Kaathal – The Core is a sensitive, dignified, and nuanced film that brings to fore the importance of how big stars like Mammootty and Jyotika (who returned to the big screen after three years) fit into humble places with much grace. With Kaathal, Mammootty also squashes pre written stereotypes for how a hero should be on screen, what kind of roles a megastar can take up, and whether an actor with a good market should do an experimental, bold film at all. Kaathal makes us all want to be better human beings – and that's the most important achievement of Jeo Baby's film."
Box office
''Kathal - The Core'' recorded an opening of ₹1.05 crore. The film recorded a 19% jump in revenue on its second day in theatres by earing ₹1.25 crore. On its first weekend, the film grossed ₹1.6 crores on Saturday with a 42.04% occupancy rate and grossed ₹1.75 crores on Sunday. ''Kathal - The Core'' grossed a total of Rs 5 crore within four days of its release. The film reportedly collected ₹16.25 lakhs from Aries Plex Theatre,
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the Capital city, capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the ...
. By its first weekend the film grossed ₹1 crore from ROI circuits.
The next day, the film grossed around 6.25 crore. By its 8th day it grossed around ₹7.95 crores.
On its 12th day the film grossed ₹13.15 crores and was declared a theatrical hit.
Awards and Honours
;
Kerala State Film Awards
The Kerala State Film Awards are the film awards for a motion picture made in Kerala. The awards started in 1969 by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala and since 1998 the awards have been bestowed by Kerala State Cha ...
*
Best Film -
Jeo Baby
Jeo Baby is an Indian film director, screenwriter and actor who works in Malayalam cinema, Malayalam films. His family drama film ''The Great Indian Kitchen'' (2021) won the 51st Kerala State Film Awards, 51st Kerala State Film Award for Kerala ...
&
Mammootty
Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail (born 7 September 1951), known mononymously by the hypocorism Mammootty (), is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam-language films. He has also appeared in Tamil, Telugu, ...
*
Best Story - Adarsh Sukumaran & Paulson Skaria
*
Best Music Director – Score - Mathews Pulickan
*
Special Mention - Sudhi Kozhikode
;
69th Filmfare Awards South
*
Filmfare Critics Award for Best Malayalam Film -
Jeo Baby
Jeo Baby is an Indian film director, screenwriter and actor who works in Malayalam cinema, Malayalam films. His family drama film ''The Great Indian Kitchen'' (2021) won the 51st Kerala State Film Awards, 51st Kerala State Film Award for Kerala ...
*
Best Actress (Critics) – Malayalam -
Jyothika
Jyothika Saravanan (; born 18 October 1978) is an Indian actress and producer who primarily works in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu films. She has received several accolades including a National Film Award, five Filmfare Awards South, four Tamil N ...
*
Best Lyricist – Malayalam -
Anwar Ali ("Ennum En Kaaval")
;
Vanitha Film Awards
The Vanitha Film Awards are presented annually by ''Vanitha'', an Indian magazine from the ''Malayala Manorama'' group in the south Indian state of Kerala. The awards ceremony has been instituted to honour both artistic and technical excellence ...
*Best Director -
Jeo Baby
Jeo Baby is an Indian film director, screenwriter and actor who works in Malayalam cinema, Malayalam films. His family drama film ''The Great Indian Kitchen'' (2021) won the 51st Kerala State Film Awards, 51st Kerala State Film Award for Kerala ...
* Best Actor -
Mammootty
Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail (born 7 September 1951), known mononymously by the hypocorism Mammootty (), is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam-language films. He has also appeared in Tamil, Telugu, ...
* Best Actress -
Jyothika
Jyothika Saravanan (; born 18 October 1978) is an Indian actress and producer who primarily works in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu films. She has received several accolades including a National Film Award, five Filmfare Awards South, four Tamil N ...
;Other Awards, recognition & nominations
*It was featured at the
54th IFFI Indian panorama section.
*Officially selected at Imagine India Film Festival in
Madrid
Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
*Nominated for
Melbourne International Film Festival for Best Actor for
Mammootty
Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail (born 7 September 1951), known mononymously by the hypocorism Mammootty (), is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam-language films. He has also appeared in Tamil, Telugu, ...
&
Best Actress for
Jyothika
Jyothika Saravanan (; born 18 October 1978) is an Indian actress and producer who primarily works in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu films. She has received several accolades including a National Film Award, five Filmfare Awards South, four Tamil N ...
*Won
South Indian International Movie Awards for Best Actress - Critics - Jyothika
*Won
IIFA Utsavam for Best Actress - Critics - Jyothika
*Nominated for best actor & actress category at Koimoi Awards and
National Critics Choice Awards.
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kaathal - The Core
2023 LGBTQ-related films
Indian drama films
Indian LGBTQ-related films
Gay-related films
2020s Malayalam-language films
Films shot in Kochi
Films set in Kerala
Films directed by Jeo Baby