This Hindi movie is a pretty straightforward slice-of-life story that tries to give a modern look at what it's like to be a single, professional gay man. It dives into how he understands who he is, the chances he missed out on, and the personal choices he’s made along the way. The director used three parallel timelines to tell the story, which honestly didn't make much sense to me. While the core idea was actually pretty interesting, I really feel like this would have worked way better as a short film considering the point it was trying to make. Still, it wasn't a bad watch. The plot centers on Rachit, a city professional, and his friend Shikhar as they hang out for an evening. Rachit is a polished, urban guy, while Shikhar has more of a "small-town" rustic vibe, and you can really see the contrast between them when they talk. As the night goes on, Rachit starts thinking back to some old memories from a long time ago. He remembers being an intern after college in ...
Mathukutty leaves home when he is being pressured to get married. He knows that he has been born in a wrong body and goes for sex change operation to become Marykutty. The problems and predujice just begin when she moves back to her native town. Disowned by family, the town parish priest gives her all the support. She is determined to become a sub Inspector and joins a coaching institute to prepare for the exam. In between, with the help of priest she also works as a Radio Jockey hosting a popular show "Hapiness Hour". A lot of the film is focussed on how she is most mistreated by the local police authorities and she continues to be strong and determined to pursue her dreams despite all the obstacles that are thrown to her face in the shadow of bureaucracy. Eventually with the support of local District Collector, 2-3 of her closest friends and well wishers, Marykutty eventually succeeds in making her parents proud of her achievement.
When a man plays the role of a female, it is so easy to cross the line of making it weird and vulgar but the grace with which actor Jayasurya plays Marykutty as a man is truly marvelous. his portrayal is relatable and every action is just real. Even all the reactions and emotions are done with a poise. The film truly stands on its own strictly because of the lead actor's performance. I liked the fact that the character is not shown weak or feeble. Instead she is determined, even though she is sensitive as a person. She is ready to fight for her rights. For her, making her dream a reality is more important — like she says, “It’s not a lost cause. We can always fight till we actually lose.” Having said this, even though the subject and treatment is done with respect, this film could have done something lot more. The film is a bit high on melodrama and that could be toned down a bit. The film could have used more conflict and avoided cliche of the sister asking Mary to not come to her wedding. Make this film a bit crisp, reduce some of the melodrama and this film could have had the potential tom make a huge difference in the way much of Indian society perceives and treats transgendered people.
This film educates you and sensitizes you towards the prejudices faced by transgendered community in India. We all definitely need to be more sensitive and educate ourselves on the subject. (6/10)
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