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When it came to the promotions of the new Rima Kallingal starrer Theatre: The Myth of Reality, the director of the movie, Sajin Baabu, had said that the film is not extremely complicated or intellectualized like his previous notable work, Biriyani. Looking at the zone Sajin has cracked in this movie, I would say it is a blend of the convoluted style Sajin followed in movies like Unto The Desk and Biriyani and the oversimplified stuff we saw in Ayaal Sassi. Theatre is also a social commentary film, and this time, Sajin is trying to focus on the reality fed to us in this social media-influenced era. While the world-building part of the Story is intriguing, the movie slips into that predictable satiric zone, eventually opting for an ambiguous ending.
Meera and her mother live on this island without the support of anyone else. Their relatives had abandoned them long ago for choosing to live in that place, which had other financial potential. The routine life of these two independent women hit a major roadblock when Meera got infected and fell sick after she got bitten by a strange insect. What we see here is the collective efforts to bring Meera back to life and all the background drama surrounding it.
Like I said, this is like a balance of the two kinds of films Sajin Baabu has created. In the initial portions of the movie, where we see the regular lives of these two characters, we can see Sajin doing the establishing acts in a subtle way. Since it is an isolated space with no men around, the characters are least bothered about their looks and clothes. Sajin also addresses the needs of women of Meera’s age. When the movie shifts to the hospital episodes of Meera, the social critique element comes in. Even though it is not entering the satirical space, Sajin is trying to cover a wide spectrum of possibilities around what could happen in such a scenario.
In the beginning, you would be interested in knowing how an indie movie like this would approach a theme like this. However, after a point, the film goes after every element that can be mocked. The movie’s philosophy seems to be making the audience aware that what we perceive as reality can be a myth. Through various characters and subplots, Sajin is trying to establish that many people will churn out many versions of one event, and hence, in this social media era, the reality can vary for each individual. To convey that thought, he is dragging in a social media influencer, the PR marketing people, companies with CSR funds, doctors who take commissions, political groups who would claim ownership, etc. While it is minimal and real, we sort of get what he is trying to say, but when the canvas widens, things start to feel very redundant.
Rima Kallingal gets into the skin of that character in a believable manner. For a good chunk of the movie, she is in that bedridden space, and I really liked the way she performed the post-recovery phase. Sarasa Balussery, as the orthodox mother who just couldn’t understand the way the modern world functions, was good in that character. I found that character’s political stance very contrasting. She is very aware of the needs of her daughter, and at the same time, her scientific temper is in a different direction altogether. Dain Davis plays the role of an influencer in this film. One thing I liked about that character was the fact that he wasn’t this loud “Hello, guys” caricature. Love Under Construction fame Ann Saleem gets a good character here as the supportive nurse. Pramod Veliyanad, Krishnan Balakrishnan, Akhil Kavalayoor, etc., are the other names in the cast.
In many ways, Theatre feels more like an awareness campaign that tells people that everything you hear nowadays is someone’s perception rather than reality. Even though Sajin Baabu is not taking any side in the Story, it is kind of evident that his wish is to unsettle the viewer by showing some curated realities that the viewer may have seen in real life. I felt that the efforts to make the content more accessible to everyone kind of restricted it from becoming a brilliant niche social satire.
Review By: Digitpatrox