Kaathal – The Core follows the story of a retired bank employee who decides to stand for a local Panchayat election, until his wife unexpectedly files for a divorce, claiming that he is a homosexual. The story here is nuanced and almost aching to a point that its after-effects would gently linger on after the film has ended. The tone of the drama is understated with its leisurely pacing and it slowly but steadily engulfs you in the most unassuming manner, and therein lies the beauty of the story featuring a topic that is mostly brushed under the carpet. The screenplay standing at a shade under 2 hours is compelling and filled with gentle emotions that allow you to invest in the drama throughout. 

Firstly, I would really appreciate the makers for infusing levels of inclusivity in the drama. I liked how the entire crew of the film were acknowledged at the beginning of the initial titles culminating into the actors. This set a good accord for the whole team, and it creating a positive vibe of inclusivity right at the start of the film. To accompany the long rolling initial titles is a beautiful melancholic symphony that slowly invites you in the drama while promising an emotional angle to the proceedings. This, without a single shot unfolding with the titles. This symphony set a beautifully aching vibe to the drama that almost sucks you in the world wonderfully well. 

Soon you are introduced to the principal characters who undergo their routine lives for pretty much the entire first hour. Amidst this, you see the protagonist Mathew resolve an issue between a couple and the parents with love, establishing the fact that love is his virtue. This, even while he is campaigning for a local election where the general consensus is that politics and love do not go together. The twist in the tale arises when the character of the wife, Omana files for divorce while the reason behind is is kept intact, almost being brushed under the carpet without being discussed in the open. It is implied with several hints along the way that Mathew is a homosexual having being attracted to another local Thankan, while being trapped in his marriage. A subplot involving Thankan is equally heartbreaking having to single-handedly shoulder the burden of the million whispers and gazes around him, while it is implied that his own nephew might be in a similar situation. In a scene later on in the film, he explains to his nephew on how he has people around him to love, unlike others, thus referring to himself. 

What I really enjoyed about the drama was how well the politics of the drama is handled by the writers. The topic of homosexuality is still being uttered in a hush hush tone in our society, and the same isn’t discussed openly at all, even know most people are aware of the same in Mathew’s town. Usually, there are opinions floated casually until the same is confined to your own home, and here too you see Mathew never really discussing the same with his family, while holding a mountain of pain within him. The only discussion that transpires is during the court case when the can of worms open, but the same is done with utmost sensitivity and poise. 

I have time and again said this that no other industry establishes the world and the character development like the Malayalam Film Industry. And that is true here with respect to the equation that Mathew and Omana share with each other. In a scene in the kitchen, the two exchange pleasantaries while Omana wishes the best for Mathew in his election campaign. In another scene, Mathew holds the purse of Omana while she steps into the witness box to testify against him. This, while the two visit and leave the court together in the same vehicle. There is so much love and admiration between the two that is further established with the fact that Omana tells her father-in-law that she hasn’t filed for divorce to hurt or malign Mathew, implying that it was to set him free. 

The only occasion we see Mathew openly acknowledging his sexuality at his place was with his father in a heartbreaking scene that helped him reconcile with his pain and suffering that he had capped in his heart for so many years. The events leading to the final act are achingly beautiful, and I liked how the makers focused on love finding a way to win against all odds but in a totally different capacity. The little rainbow at the end gives a lot of hope for the times to come. Overall, the screenplay is extremely well penned and makes for a wonderfully heartfelt watch.