In one of the most evocative scenes in Kumbalangi Nights, Saji (a brilliant Soubin Shahir) calls out to his younger brother Franky (Mathew Thomas) to ask if the latter could take him to a doctor. In Madhu C Narayanan’s film, this confession of needing supervision to emote, to cry becomes the confession of masculinity. On the surface, Kumbalangi Nights is a moving drama of two families rife with the upheavals of their interpersonal relationships. AdvertisingBut the film does more than just critique the common discourse or, by virtue of it, validate an alternative narrative. In Kumbalangi Nights, this gaze — unquestionable in its devotion — is corrected.

Source: Indian Express July 18, 2019 05:54 UTC