Ullozhukku - Movie

 2024. Malayalam.

I'll shift to Kerala Ithink - I love these guys. But then the flood they show is crazy. But the boats and backwaters are so nice. Anyway the movie takes off like a shot with the central character Anju who is a Christian in love with a jobless Hindu boy Raghu (I think). But owing to the boy's in ability to get a job or the girl, she is married into a rich Christian family to a rather sick young man who it is later revealed has had some exiting tumour. His health deteriorates, the girl takes care of him with her mother-in-law, sees her boyfriend on the sly to escape the constant pressure of caring for a terminally sick patient. 

All hell breaks loose when she discovers she is pregnant. MIL assumes its her son who is the father, DIL knows its not her husband but the boyfriend. Husband dies without knowing the truth but MIL soon finds out. DIL tells her MIL that she will leave once the funeral is done but its crazy floods and funeral is getting delayed increasing the tensions at home. Now pretty much everyone knows the truth. A blame game starts about who is more to blame - the husband's family for hiding the truth about his health, the girl for marrying him despite having a boyfriend on the side and getting impregnated by him. In the end the funeral is done, the MIL makes peace with her DIL and lets her go.

On the way back DIL is about to leave with her non-committal husband who is more keen on her MILs property when she sees her MIL, who shows character in backing her despite the public opinion, and gets in the boat with her.

Quite empowering. Lovely movie. It fully takes on all kinds of social conditioning - why can't she have a love affair, who is bothering to ask her what she is going through, who has asked her what she wants. In the end she decides on her own - not her father, not her mother, not her boy friend -she has to ask herself what she wants and do it.

Could be a lesson for all.