Director: Lijin Jose
Her is an anthology that takes us through the lives of 5 different women from different walks of life. Their stories aren’t necessarily intertwined but the movie making is so seamless that you don’t mind the jumps from one to another. It’s always refreshing to see realistic stories come alive on the big screen, and here we meet women who could be living around us.
The tones of the various stories differ, we are introduced to Aishwarya Rajesh’s character Anamika, and feel a sense of suspense. She is barraged with the stereotypical questions about marriage and companionship, but she responds with a smile and it is evident that she is hiding a secret. The story ends but you aren’t satisfied, she is so effortlessly good, you want to see more of her.
You meet the next character Reshma, played by Ramya Nambeesan, she is your quintessential ‘Influencer’. This one feels a bit dated, it’s a track we know and are very familiar with. It doesn’t move you or anything, it feels like a filler but a funny one that makes us see the reality behind the camera.
Urvashi, as Santha is a character we have seen many times in Malayalam cinema. She is the selfless wife whose world revolves around her home and family. Even then, Urvashi brings a sense of freshness that is unique to her. A scene where she is battling it out with ‘Alexey’ is such an endearing one, you will love her. She portrays the feelings of a woman in that stage of life, you want to feel wanted.
Lijo Mol plays the role of Abhinaya, a modern young woman who is about to get married. Her story, even though it is well-intentioned and makes an important statement, seems to be hurried. She isn’t comfortable with her not being treated as an equal to her fiance, she questions her parents when they start giving the would-be son-in-law more importance than their own daughter. This is such a typical yet unspoken reality in our Indian society. But she walks out of the relationship for a reason that most women are too afraid to talk about.
Parvathy plays Ruchi, a corporate professional who is about to move to the US. She lives independently because her family isn’t ready to accept who she really is and what she wants. Things escalate in her story really fast, and you see the ending coming, it’s a pleasant surprise and one that has crackling chemistry. The audience will be left wanting for more, to know more about her journey and discovery!
Through these women, we see the different shades of womanhood. We can be white, black, grey, or a rainbow, we cannot be put into a box. While we meet a selfish Reshma, we also meet a selfless Santha. In her debut movie, writer Archana Vasudev weaves simple and complex stories together with earnestness. We see women being unapologetically themselves, even if they are flawed, or misunderstood, or do not conform to societal standards. This is what we love, this is what we would like to see more of. Well-written women characters that are inspired by women we see in our daily lives.
Rating- 3 /5