10 Feminist Malayalam Films That Will Leave You Thinking

With advancing times, regional cinema is also evolving. There are many regional movies that are really intriguing and popular. Likewise, we are seeing the advancing growth of the Malayalam industry. The Malayalam industry has given the audience some exceptional movies on social issues. Picking out from the best of the Kerala cinema, we bring you 10 awesome Malayalam feminist films.

Kerala is the most literate state of India. However, even after having a high literacy rate, the Kerala society is largely patriarchal and this reflects in the regional movies of the state as well. Malayalam films try and portray the struggles of women in society. They display the various social evils that surround a woman's life. Here is the list of 10 such Malayalam feminist films that will leave you thinking.

10 Malayalam Feminist Films:

Take Off

This is an inspiring story of an Indian nurse, Sameera, working in Iraq during the civil war of 2014. The movie is about an ambitious Sameera, a restraining family and husband, divorce, remarriage, a child unable to accept his step-father and above everything, being held hostage by ISIS and survival.

The Great Indian Kitchen

This Malayalam film depicts the film of a middle class Indian woman after marriage. A married woman is confined to the four walls of the kitchen and is supposed to serve the family forever. The movie follows the life of a wife who tries to fit into this conventional, patriarchal role of a home maker but somehow finds the pre defined norms and expectations wrong.

Biriyani

This exceptional movie is about the confined life of a Muslim woman who is forced to give up on all her desires. The film's narrative showcases how women are objectified in the society and are treated as mere lumps of flesh that can be abused and mistreated as per the needs and will of the society.

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Rani Padmini

The movie is about how two women from completely different backgrounds, Rani and Padmini meet on a journey to Manali. Rani is escaping some goons while Padmini is on a trip to bring her husband back. The film is about the bond that the two women share in such a small time. They are rebels in their own little ways who wish to go to any length to do what they want but the patriarchal society always poses a hindrance to their way.

Udharanam Sujatha

Sujatha, a single mother from Thiruvananthapuram, is disappointed when her daughter decides to drop out of school. Sujatha works really hard to make ends meet but wants to do anything for her daughter's education. She wants her to have a secure future unlike hers. The film is about how an uneducated women, who does menial jobs, defines the importance of education to her daughter and inspire and empowers her.

Vaanku

Woman are not allowed to introduce reforms in an orthodox society and the protagonist of this movie does exactly that. A bright college student, Raziya, wishes to recite the azaan, the Islamic call to prayer which is not allowed for women. The film touches on the topics of religion supported sexism and how the lack of education leads to women being dependent on men and hence, being subject to suppression.

Kho-Kho

This feminist Malayalam film is a sports drama about a kho-kho coach who is haunted by her past athlete career. She is now a PT trainer at an all-girls school just for the sake of financial stability of her family. However, she find hope in the girls kho-kho team of the school and embarks on a journey to live out her sports dream through them.

How Old Are You ?

This movie is about a middle-aged married woman, Nirupama, who works hard to balance her work life and her life as a home maker. However, instead of understanding that she has a lot on her plate, the society wants her to be perfect and when she does any mistake, there are always taunts for her. The film shows how Nirupama decides to work in the direction of her dreams and the obstacles she faces on her path of glory.

Uyare

The movie is about the life of Pallavi who aspires to be a pilot. She joins the aviation academy despite the disapproval of his obsessive boyfriend, Govind and decides to follow her dream. However, things go bad when she is attacked with acid by Govind as a revenge. The movie follows her struggle as an acid attack survivor and throws light on how women's dreams are invalidated in a patriarchal society.

Sara's

">Sara's depicts the life of an ambitious associate director whose goal is to become an independent film maker. The protagonist and her husband are in a very supportive relationship and they decide not to have children. Having children, in India, is not an individual's choice and hence, their decision is challenged at every point of time.