Chanthupottu

Lal Jose’s 2005 Malayalam hit follows Radhakrishnan, raised as a girl by a grandmother who wanted a granddaughter, mocked by everyone in his coastal village, and then thrown off balance when he falls in love with Malu. Dileep played the part, the film made money, and for a while it was received as warm-hearted comedy. It has aged into something else. The title itself passed into Malayalam as a slur used against feminine men, and queer activists have spent years describing the damage that followed. Confronted with this, Lal Jose declined to apologise, arguing that his character was an effeminate man rather than a transgender person. The film is now discussed in Kerala mostly as a case study in what representation can cost.