Thoovanathumbikal

P. Padmarajan's 1987 Malayalam film follows Jayakrishnan caught between two women: Radha in his village and Clara, whom he meets in the city and who works as a sex worker. He lives two lives and will give up neither. The film is among the most cited works of Malayalam cinema, and its cult standing comes largely from Clara: she is not judged, not pitied, and she is the one who decides. Padmarajan uses rain as the rhythm of the story. Mohanlal's performance does not hide the hero's selfishness. Seen now, Jayakrishnan's conduct is indefensible and the film takes no clear position on it. Who it's for: viewers interested in Malayalam classics and Indian cinema of the eighties. Who it's not for: anyone wanting the hero held to account, or troubled by the period's view of sex work.