Maadathy review: Devastatingly poignant look at caste and gender discrimination

Leena Manimekalai’s Maadathy is a simple, straightforward film about the life of a carefree teenager who belongs to the ‘unseeable’ community in her village. But while Maadathy is the coming-of-age tale of the girl (and about her sexual awakening), it is also a hard-hitting commentary on caste and gender discrimination. Leena does not sugarcoat the way she portrays the horrors of caste pride.

While Maadathy has a simple story, it hits harder than most Tamil films in recent years. It follows the lives of the people from the oppressed community, particularly of young Yosana, whose happy-go-lucky attitude towards life always sends chills down her mother’s spine.

We see the mother yell at the girl for every little thing. As the story progresses, you begin to sense her concern for her child. Yosana dreams of simple things like taking a bath in the river, but she is robbed of even these simple pleasures on account of her caste. The film, in which we see the villagers come together to build a temple to a local goddess, is a shocking reminder of how there is a story of injustice behind every woman/deity in this country.

Leena doesn’t hesitate to ask all the uncomfortable questions. She questions how we build temples to goddesses but don’t treat the women in our lives with a little dignity. In a beautiful scene, when Yosana asks her mother why she won’t let her live life a little, she says the human beasts of their village won’t let her live in peace.

Leena explores how men, even those from the so-called lower castes, always want to rule over women. Even in the caste-based discrimination, Maadathy talks about how men are still the privileged class and women still find it difficult to live their lives irrespective of where they belong.

The film is backed by some solid performances. Ajmina Kassim as Yosana is a revelation. She plays her character with unparalleled sensitivity. Semmalar Annam, who plays the mother, has been quietly championing Tamil independent cinema with some outstanding performances. As the voiceless woman stuck between protecting herself and guarding her daughter, she brings out the helplessness of her character so effectively.

Maadathy is an important film that talks about how women being mistreated is a bigger threat than caste discrimination. While raising pertinent questions about the horrors associated with caste-based crimes, the film asks if we are treating our women with respect. There is a beautiful subplot about the villagers building a temple which houses a deity with no eyes. In essence, Leena suggests that the world has turned blind towards the injustices heaped on women.

Maadathy is now available on Neestream.