B 32 Muthal 44 Vare Review: A Nuanced Probe Into Objectification And Body Politics

Shruthi Sharanyam's film B 32 Muthal 44 Vare gently explores the body politics encountered by women through the experiences of six well-written characters.

The cast which inculcates Ramya Nabeesan, Anarkali Marikar, Ashwathy, Zarin Shibab, Krishna Kurup, Raina Radhakrishnan, and Harish Uthaman left their audience mesmerised.

B 32 Muthal 44 Vare Review

Since time immemorial, society has objectified the size, form, and measurement of women's bodies. When it comes to the big screen, the masculine gaze rules. However, the film B 32 Muthal 44 Vare created from the perspective of five women and a trans man who faces various types of body shaming owing to cultural taboos is very refreshing and powerful.

Shruthi Sharanyam's directorial debut is a well-made picture by a woman for society. It poses specific questions in an attempt to overcome the age-old stereotyped cultural stigmas associated with the demands and obligations placed on women in the name of femininity. It's upbeat and soulful.

">B 32 Muthal 44 Vare begins with trans man Ziya, with whom an inquisitive teenage lad talks mastectomy, and finishes with another youngster explaining gender as 'with boobs and without boobs'. The fundamental issue of the film is the breasts, an essential bodily component that is never addressed with respect but is frequently associated with sensuality and sexuality in women.

The filmmaker, who also wrote the script, has done justice to all of the characters. It also discusses many facets of breast cancer and the emotional journey women go through as a result of it. When one woman confronts workplace prejudice for 'lack of aesthetic attractiveness,' another woman is a breast cancer survivor. It also looks at teen pregnancy, the problems trans men face, the casting couch, and professional discrimination with people pursuing a modelling career, for instance.

The actors who performed the primary and supporting parts did an excellent job. The cinematography, editing, sound, and music all merge together like poetry in the film.

When the bulk of films confine women to mere objects of pleasure, it was refreshing to see women embracing the majority of the screen space and being themselves, exploring the possibilities of motherhood, sisterhood, and female bonding. However, while attempting to be gender inclusive and reasonable, it is equally vital to be empathic and accommodating, lest it generates another platitude - 'all men are the same'.

B 32 Muthal 44 Vare is both a groundbreaking celebration of women as well as a thought-provoking piece for society.

Suggested Reading: Things Women With Small Breasts Are Tired Of Hearing