'Aattam': A Play Within A Play In A Movie

'Aattam', a Malayalam film that examines a crime and its aftermath through a feminist lens, offers viewers a stunning take on gender relations and the inner workings of the patriarchy. Sans the presence of major stars, Anand Ekarshi's 'Aattam' conquered the Malayalam cinema sphere and was a major commercial success when it was released in the state in 2023. 

The film revolves around a theatre group and a crime that happens one night when the team is out celebrating after a performance. The celebration takes a dark turn when Anjali, the sole female actress in the group, is molested by one of the men in the group After everyone departs to their rooms on the eventful night, Anjali is grabbed by someone through the open window of her room. She assumes it was Hari, the lead actor and the only member of the team who is also a budding film actor. A deeply shocked Anjali shares this experience with her lover Vinay, who is the second lead in the drama. Vinay, at the initiative of Madan, the most respected elder in the group, organises all the team members except Hari. Everyone assembles at Madan’s house to discuss how to deal with the matter. Gradually, they split into groups opposing and supporting Hari, based on their own interests and priorities. 

While the rest of the team initially seeks justice for her, the film sensitively reveals the effects of the male gaze on a survivor. The team members who stood by Anjali at first slowly change as their selfish motives gain dominance. The discussion among the male team members gradually shifts to victim blaming, forcing Anjali to produce 'evidence' for her allegation. Anjali embarks on her own journey as an actor, through which she exposes the tyranny of the male gaze. Towards the end of the film, the team members watch a play performed by Anjali and see themselves reflected in the characters on the stage. 

The word 'Aattam' has multiple meanings including ‘play', 'dance', or 'visual performance’. The film deftly exposes the layers of patriarchy, a system in which men make decisions for and on behalf of women. 'Aattam' does not portray the men as plain villains; instead, they represent the so-called 'good men', who have their own selfish interests. 'Aattam' weaves a compelling narrative of how these 'good men' uphold patriarchy in their own way and hold women responsible for the sexual harassment they suffer. For the team members, the sexual harassment of their lone female teammate is not significant enough to forgo an offer to perform the play in Europe. 

'Aattam' keeps the visual language intact, avoiding verbal expressions or sloganeering about patriarchy. The film is a masterful exercise in subtlety, while dealing with a politically profound question. 'Aattam' draws a parallel with Sidney Lumet’s 1957 classic, '12 Angry Men', in which a group of twelve men—the jury members—debates the fate of a murder suspect. The film reveals the prejudices and biases of these jury members and how such factors can influence the pursuit of justice. 

Interestingly, most of the actors in 'Aattam', including the writer and director Ekarshi, belong to the Kochi-based theatre group, Lokadharmi. 'Aattam' is Ekarshi’s first full-length feature film, though he has directed short films and music videos. The film won the 2023 Grand Jury Award at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles and was selected as the opening feature at the 54th International Film Festival of India held in Goa in 2023.