All About Puzhu, The 2022 Film For Which mammootty Is Facing Backlash Online

Malayalam superstar mammootty faced backlash on social media for his 2022 film 'Puzhu' amid claims that the film was anti-Brahmanical and against the upper caste community.

Puzhu

Malayalam superstar mammootty faced backlash on social media for his 2022 film 'Puzhu' amid claims that the film was anti-Brahmanical and against the upper caste community. It all started when the film director Ratheena PT’s husband Sharshad Baniyandi, said in a recent interview that “the movie had insulted the upper caste community”. Sharshad raised concerns about Mammootty's decision to take on the project, questioning whether he had even read the script. Additionally, he accused one of the scriptwriters, Harshad, of being an "extreme Islamist." 

All about Puzhu

 Released in 2022, Puzhu is a psychological drama, directed by Ratheena and co-written by Harshad, Sharfu, and Suhas.  

Plot

 Kuttan(Mammootty) a high-ranking IPS officer and widower from a Brahmin community, lives in a luxury apartment with his son, Kichu. His overprotective and authoritarian nature stifles Kichu, who wishes his father to be dead. Kuttan begins to suspect that someone is plotting to kill him, becoming paranoid and distrustful of everyone around him. His anxiety intensifies when his younger sister, Bharati (Parvathy Thiruvothu), moves into a nearby flat with her husband, Kuttappan, a theatre artist from an oppressed caste. Kuttan and Bharati share a strained relationship due to her elopement with Kuttappan, which Kuttan views with contempt. His hatred and bigotry eventually drive him to unleash his rage, leading to a loss of sanity. 

The film is not just a psychological drama, it also shows the deep-seated prejudices of the upper caste, particularly through Kuttappan's character. The film explores the weight of family legacy and the burdens of social status. 

Reviews

 The film received a positive response from the critics with high praise for Mammootty’s performance. 

Film Companion’s review of the film reads, “You have to give it to mammootty for the way he's able to make a human out of a monster. Through him, we see the rotting of a soul succumbing to his prejudices. At once, you see both a victim and the perpetrator of the same crimes. Eventually, it's the same prejudice that brings his fall. In scenes where Kuttan is emotionally manipulating his son, you see how much this actor can do with so little that you're tempted to hit pause and observe the complex shades of grey he's bringing. In a sense, you feel terrible that such roles have become a once-in-a-decade phenomenon for the actor. And when you see the diabetic Kuttan tearing up after having tasted a spoon of the sweet payasam his sister made for him, you also see traces of a good man who let bitterness poison him to death.” 

First Post’s review of the film reads, “Puzhu is a compelling slow burn. Ratheena builds up tension and an air of intrigue that are as much a factor of Kuttan’s fears as of her storytelling style and pacing, the precision editing by Deepu Joseph, Jakes Bejoy’s pensive music, vishnu Govind and Sreesankar’s restrained sound design and near-perfect acting by every member of the cast including Vasudev Sajeesh Marar who is remarkably nuanced as Kichu.” 

Scroll’s review reads, “Few actors other than mammootty could have humanized a monster to the extent that his descent is tracked with bated breath and reluctant empathy. In one of the film’s most chilling scenes, Kuttan pleads with Kichu to treat him like a friend, then menacingly talks to him, and finally wallows in pathos, all in the space of a few minutes. It’s a performance of many layers and staggering proportion, all the more powerful because it is as carefully calibrated as Kuttan’s everyday dealings with Kichu.” 

Where to watch

 The film was released directly on sony Liv on 12 May 2022. It is currently available on the streaming platform.