Kaathal The Core – 5 things that set Jyotika’s performance apart in the Mammootty starrer

Kaathal The Core, the family drama which hit theatres in November 2023, has finally had its OTT release. The movie, which stars Mammootty and Jyotika in the lead roles, is currently available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The Jeo Baby directorial pushed the creative boundaries of Malayalam cinema to many levels with its sensible approach to a highly sensitive subject. Along with the great making, the performances by Mammootty, Jyotika, and Sudhi Kozhikode, made the movie a heartwarming watch.

When it comes to Jyotika, the popular actress made a comeback to Malayalam cinema after a long gap of over two decades, with Kaathal The Core. She played the role of Omana Philip, a simple Malayali woman who motivates her husband Mathew Devassy to embrace his sexuality in the movie, to near perfection.

Here we present the 5 factors, that set the talented actress’s performance apart, in the movie. Have a look...

*Spoilers Ahead*

Her eyes speak a thousand words!

If you have followed Jyotika’s career, you might have noticed that the actress expresses a lot with her eyes. In many notable films of her career, including Mozhi in which she had no dialogues, the actress stunned the audiences by emoting perfectly just with her eyes. Similarly, in Kaathal The Core, Jyotika’s eyes speak a thousand words. Even in scenes where she has no dialogue, the actress has made a mark by conveying the inner turmoil of her character through her eyes.

For instance, in some of the best scenes in the film (every sequence where Mathew takes his hands away when she tries to touch him, the kitchen scene in which her brother reprimands her for filing for divorce, and the court hearing scene where Omana is forced to answer questions on her private life) the eyes do all the talking. However, it is her tear-filled eyes in one of the final scenes, where she asks Mathew if he can sleep next to her for one last time, that broke my heart.

Also Read: Kaathal The Core – 5 instances that we wish were explored more in Mammootty and Jyotika’s film 

The Minimal dialogues

The best thing about the character Omana Philip in Kaathal The Core is that she has minimal dialogues. Even in some of the most emotional scenes in the film that had all chance to turn melodramatic, the short and crisp dialogues spoken by the leading lady left a deep impact. This creative choice by director Jeo Baby and his team of writers Adarsh Sukumaran and Paulson Skaria, made Jyotika’s performance as Omana unique in every sense.

The freshness Jyotika brings to the film

Well, when we think about a leading lady who can play the wife of Mammootty’s character in a film, there are quite a lot of faces that come to our minds. However, the casting of Jyotika brought a sense of freshness to the character Omana Philip. She is indeed a familiar face to the Malayalam cinema audiences. However, it felt different to watch her play the role of a simple Malayali homemaker, who dresses in simple cotton sarees and wears a rosary around her neck.

Also Read: Kaathal The Core – Netizens shower love on Mammootty, Jyotika’s film post Prime Video release; call it a ‘Masterpiece’ 

Exceptional chemistry with Mammootty

Well, Mammootty and Jyotika played a middle-aged couple stuck in a loveless marriage, in Kaathal The Core. However, the talented actress shared an extraordinary onscreen chemistry with the veteran actor, which made the audiences instantly accept that they are indeed a couple, who have been living together for the last 20 years. Jyotika and Mammootty elevated each others’ performances by providing the right reactions throughout the film. The duo's onscreen chemistry just peaked in the film’s best scene, where Mathew and Omana hug each other and cry their hearts out.

Also Read: Mammootty and the art of reinvention – Here’s why the Kannur Squad actor’s post-Covid filmography is nothing but epic 

The dubbing by actress Jomol

Director Jeo Baby and his team opted for a fresh dubbing artist for Jyotika, instead of going for a familiar voice actor, in Kaathal The Core. Jomol, the senior actress dubbed for the leading lady in the film, and elevated the performance with her unique and soulful voice and the perfect Malayalam dialect. The unfamiliar dubbing voice made Omana Philip stand out, and yet made the character, who is a simple woman from the Teekoy village, in Kerala, relatable and believable.

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