Biriyaani review - Deeply unsettling, raw, and a tragic tale about a woman at war with the society

3.5/5

Story:

The opening scene sets the tone for the narrative which tells an unrelenting tale of a woman at odds with herself, her family, and society. Khadeeja, played by the excellent Kani Kusruti, is the central character of the film. Each facet of her life is a critique of the various stigmas in society - female sexuality, religious dogmatism, class prejudice, misogyny, abuse of power, and mental health. The story takes Khadeeja from one tragedy after another, with any sort of redemption she strives to attain is snatched away from her even before she is able to get hold of it. Over the course of the story, she loses everyone in her life one by one because of her gender, religion, and class.

Review:

If director Sajin Baabu’s idea was to invoke uneasiness with the framing of the shots, sound design, and the inclusion of some truly disturbing sequences, then he has succeeded. The film will rival even some of the European art films when it comes to stomach churning sequences, but the idea is very clear with regard to what the makers expect from the viewers - it is to force the viewers to feel the uneasiness women belonging to deeply religious communities have to bear with their entire lives. These are not added for the sake of the shock and awe factor, but rather for the symbolic representation of aforementioned facets of Khadeeja’s life.

These scenes can be separated into what each message it is trying to convey, the shot of the artificial insemination of a cow immediately after the intimate scene between Khadeeja’s and her husband is symbolic to her being used as a vessel to reproduce or as an object for his sexual gratification. Similarly, there are several scenes that are difficult to sit through, not because it is grotesque like some of the violent gore movies, but because of its context and authenticity. The framing of these shots have significant allegorical references.

The narrative has made use of scenes about televised debates on news channels as an exposition to highlight the issues plaguing within Islam and the various stigma the religion faces as a result of a surge in religious intolerance. It is a plot device that has been used to great effect in a few Hollywood films in the past. The film also puts sexuality under the microscope, it forces the viewer to rethink their stance on the subject. It also points out the fact that society is willing to accept unspeakable acts of hate and at times violence but would cast aside or even persecute anyone who expresses their sexuality.

Kani Kusriti’s turn as the tragic heroine is arguably one of the best performances in Malayalam in recent times. Surjith and Shailaja Jala had strong performances of their own as well as the rest of the supporting cast. The final scene of the film takes a full 360 on the plot and goes back to the opening scene of the film with an alternate take, a suggestion perhaps from the writer about a parallel reality where the gender roles are reversed.

The one area where the film does falter ever so slightly is with its storytelling. For all intents and purposes, cinema is an expression of art through visual storytelling. Biriyaani however leans more towards a fictionalised documentary. It’s story is restricted to socio-political themes rather than telling a coherent story. Whether this is detrimental for the film is debatable, but it restricts the film both visually and narratively.

Verdict:

The film is a scathing attack on the social norms that oppress women in India, especially the ones from the minority communities - both from within the communities and outside.