IFFK review: 'Feminichy Fathima' takes on religious patriarchy through satire

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'Feminichy Fathima' (Feminist Fathima), the Malayalam film directed by Fasil Muhammed, is an intentional work of art. Right from its title, the film makes its intention clear. It aims to provoke patriarchy which thrives on religion. The film touches a nerve with its straight forward criticism of Muslim orthodoxy and the resultant patriarchy. However, it does so without hurting sentiments. The film, in that sense, is a rare case of questioning religious orthodoxy with a feather touch, yet hitting hard. Fasil achieves this significant feat with a measured use of humour.
The social satire captures the life in a local Muslim cleric’s family and neighbourhood in Kerala’s Malappuram through the lens of realism. It follows a small period in the life of Fathima, a young woman married to the cleric and the mother of three children. She is obedience personified. She never complains – not even once, though her husband wants her to come from the kitchen or the courtyard even to turn the fan on in their bedroom. All that stops as Fathima finds her pain point, literally. A mattress, which she is forced to abandon because of her husband’s hurt ego, acts as the agent of the woman’s self awakening and pursuit of financial independence. The simple plot progresses through well-aligned sequences of situational comedy.

Religious conservatism and superstition get one slap at a time as the film progresses, though towards a predictable end. What makes it stand out among the films dealing with the same theme is its treatment of its characters. It doesn’t see them in black and white – the oppressed women and the oppressor men. Instead, the main characters in the film are caught in a socio-cultural transition where they know that they have to adapt or perish. The patriarch is confronted not just by the woman in his family but also by men and women around him who have moved along the change in times.
Performance scores the best in the film. Shamla Hamza with her expressions and mannerism is exceptional as Fathima while Kumar Sunil delivers the character of her husband Usthad Ashraf, caught in a time warp, with ease. Viji Viswanath as Suhra, Fathima’s no-nonsense neighbour, does an impressing act.
(The film was screened at the ongoing 29th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) under the International Competition segment)