What
makes
Ullozhukku
worth
recommending
is
its
ability
to
surrender
to
the
surprises
and
yet
grow
with
its
characters,
observes
Divya
Nair.
When
you
think
of
the
rains,
one
of
the
most
common
emotions
is
that
of
love,
longing
or
even
temporary
relief.
But
there
is
also
an
eerie
quality
about
the
rains
that
some
of
us
may
have
experienced,
when
we
get
stranded
due
to
floods
and
feel
helpless.
Water,
one
of
nature’s
most
relaxing
elements,
when
it
stagnates
or
overflows,
can
also
get
discomforting,
suffocating,
and
even
fatal.
How
does
one
deal
with
this
conflicting
feeling?
In
Ullozhukku
(meaning
undercurrent),
Director
Christo
Tommy
(of
the
series
Curry
And
Cyanide:
The
Jolly
Joseph
Case)
attempts
to
showcase
the
undercurrents
of
family
relationships
against
the
backdrop
of
an
overcast
sky
and
a
partly
submerged
home
somewhere
in
the
backwaters
of
Kerala.
It
is
the
story
of
two
women
dealing
with
their
dysfunctional
marriages.
We
are
introduced
to
Anju
(Parvathy
Thiruvothu),
a
young,
hopeful
salesgirl
who
is
forced
to
ditch
her
unemployed
long-term
beau
and
marry
an
incompatible
Thomaskutty
(Prashant
Murali)
only
to
regret
her
decision
on
the
first
night
of
their
marriage.
As
Anju
reluctantly
embraces
her
persuasive
husband,
surrendering
to
the
moment
and
fulfilling
his
carnal
desires
as
the
newly
minted
bride,
the
absence
of
consent
is
subtle.
Later,
when
Thomaskutty
walks
away
from
her,
exiting
from
the
right
side
of
the
bed,
the
emptiness
of
company
in
Anju’s
life
is
evident.
This
emptiness
soon
turns
into
suffocation
when
Thomaskutty
suddenly
becomes
ill
and
bedridden.
The
shift
of
dominance
in
the
relationship,
perhaps
unintentional,
is
conveyed
when
Parvathy
discourages
Thomaskutty’s
advances
and
turns
away
to
sleep
on
the
right
side
of
the
bed.
Thomaskutty’s
mother
Leelamma
(Urvashi)
and
Anju
essay
an
unusual,
envious
pair
of
doting
saas-bahu
who
are
united
by
the
common
aim
of
nursing
Thomaskutty,
who
is
diagnosed
with
a
peculiar
illness
that
no
one
particularly
talks
about.
While
Anju
continues
her
duties
as
a
selfless
wife,
regularly
sponging
her
flailing
husband
and
patiently
cleaning
up
the
mess
he
creates,
she
uses
every
possible
opportunity
to
sneak
away
from
home
and
find
comfort
in
her
ex-boyfriend
Rajeev
(Arjun
Radhakrishnan)
who
promises
to
marry
and
rescue
her
from
the
marriage
once
he
‘settles
down’.
When
Leelamma
talks
about
being
married
at
a
young
age,
and
how
she
single-handedly
brought
up
her
two
children
after
the
death
of
her
husband,
she
would
like
Anju
to
believe
that
God
has
been
jealous
of
her
happiness
and
yet
kind
in
his
own
way,
for
always
giving
her
a
reason
to
hope
even
in
her
darkest
hour.
Leelamma
mentions
how
Anju
has
been
a
blessing
to
her
family,
especially
her
ailing
son,
a
sentiment
the
latter
doesn’t
acknowledge
or
is
interested
in
engaging
in.
The
timing
couldn’t
have
been
more
perfect
because
when
Anju
discovers
she
is
pregnant,
Thomaskutty
meets
with
an
accident.
Everyone,
including
Leelamma,
believes
it
is
their
good
news
to
celebrate,
as
the
child
could
be
a
sign
of
hope.
While
Leelamma
continues
to
boast
about
her
beloved
son
and
family
to
Anju,
expressing
her
expectations,
she
is
subconsciously
also
throwing
her
weight
around,
implying
that
Anju
is
going
to
be
stuck
here
forever.
There
are
umpteen
moments
of
silence
between
Anju
and
Leelamma,
and
also
between
Anju
and
Thomaskutty
where
the
tension
is
obvious
through
body
language,
but
not
acknowledged
through
words.
It
is
only
after
Thomaskutty
passes
away
that
Anju
truly
starts
expressing
herself.
It
begins
with
her
gently,
but
firmly
stating
that
she
will
not
stay
back
after
the
funeral.
As
the
burial
is
delayed,
an
emotionally
stubborn
Leelamma
discovers
Anju’s
betrayal.
The
confrontation
scene
is
perhaps
one
of
the
most
sensitive
and
sincere
conversations
between
a
heartbroken
mother-in-law
who
is
yet
to
recover
from
the
grief
of
losing
her
only
son
and
a
daughter-in-law
who
is
guilty
but
isn’t
seeking
approval
or
forgiveness.
Ullozhukku
is
full
of
tense,
unexpected
moments
that
make
you
anxious
and
feel
sorry
for
the
protagonists.
From
deafening
silences
of
a
strained
relationship
to
sprouting
signs
of
revolt,
in
a
desperate
attempt
to
excuse,
rather
rescue
oneself.
From
suppressed
disappointment
to
unfiltered
outbreaks
of
emotions,
each
relationship
goes
through
its
fair
share
of
ups
and
downs,
which
beautifully
coincides
with
the
changing
weather
outside.
Even
though
Ullozhukku
may
seem
like
a
dark,
gloomy
premise,
the
story’s
slow-burn
pace
is
neither
stagnant
nor
mundane.
Instead,
there
is
a
constant
transformation
between
the
characters
as
new
truths
surface,
unveiling
suppressed
intentions
and
expectations
that
none
of
them
is
prepared
for.
Urvashi
and
Parvathy
display
rare
camaraderie
of
action
and
reaction,
turning
familiar,
preconceived
situations
into
unpredictable
ones
with
just
the
right
dose
of
sensitivity.
In
fact,
once
Leelamma
is
convinced
that
Anju
has
made
up
her
mind,
you
see
an
unexpected
side
of
Leelamma,
which
is
part
stubborn,
yet
assertive
enough
to
show
her
strong
maternal
instincts
while
also
shielding
her
personal
space
and
social
dignity.
Urvashi
establishes
herself
as
a
fine
performer
capturing
the
nuances
with
ingenuity
and
Parvathy
further
complements
in
what
might
be
the
duo’s
career-best
roles.
They
deserve
a
standing
ovation.
Ullozhukku‘s
brilliance
is
conveyed
not
only
in
the
way
it
pits
one
imperfect
family
member
against
the
other,
without
discounting
the
vulnerability
or
the
strength
of
the
situation
but
also
in
its
intelligent
use
of
mundane
props
that
come
to
life
even
without
a
voiceover.
Like
the
perfect
but
loveless
wedding
photographs
of
the
couple
that
Anju
wants
to
get
rid
of
or
Thomaskutty’s
dusty
cradle
that
embodies
Leelamma’s
hope
of
a
grandson.
What
makes
Ullozhukku
worth
recommending
is
its
ability
to
surrender
to
the
surprises
and
yet
grow
with
its
characters.
Much
like
Curry
and
Cyanide,
Christo
doesn’t
take
sides
but
rather
dwells
on
the
intense,
important
moments
just
enough
to
grab
you
in
its
tension
and
then
release
you
to
decide
for
yourself.
Like
an
unexpected
flood
that
devastates
you
and
robs
you
of
the
things
you
probably
loved
the
most,
the
film
reminds
you
that
discomfort
can
also
be
a
sign
of
change,
a
new
beginning.
Ullozhukku
Review
Rediff
Rating:
