Udalazham Movie Review {4/5}: Critic Review of Udalazham by Times of India

Story: Gulikan is trapped in a wrong body and Mathi in her love for Gulikan. He flees from place to place in search of freedomReview: Gulikan is someone who finds himself trapped helplessly in a male body. He suffers from a self-imposed suppression as well as the oppression by the society. Unnikrishnan Avala’s Udalazham paints the inner dilemmas of a tribal transperson who is caught between gender identities. The two-hour-long film is inspired by the life and struggles of A Raju, Kerala’s only known tribal transperson, who lived in Nilambur forest before bidding goodbye to his struggles and the world, ten months ago. Gulikan (Mani), a young tribal is acutely aware of the paradox in his life but is tied in a marital knot to Mathi (Remya Vatsala). He is upset about not living up to her expectations, not being able to give her a child or let go of her. On the other side, Mathi loves Gulikan sincerely but things go topsy turvy when Gulikan decides to leave the forest and flee to the city.Udalazham is a beautiful piece of art that flawlessly brings out the reality of the tribals in Kerala. The film sends out a strong socio-political message by highlighting their alienation and other issues including deforestation, drought, poverty, addiction and social stigma.Udalazham is raw and pure. Many of its most compelling scenes — Gulikan’s interaction with a dance teacher, Mathi and Gulikan’s conversations, Mathi’s transformation after falling in love, Gulikan’s happiness in love and his relationships with Moorthyettan, a sex worker, and Rameshettan — are poignantly picturised.Mani, the adorable little boy who persuaded us to fall in love with the song ‘pacha pulchadi’ in the movie Photographer, makes a grand return to cinema. He infuses life into Gulikan by adding a rhythm to his walk, altering the angle of his neck and portraying complex emotions gracefully. Remya Vatsala as Mathi bares the soul of a woman in strife. She is open and spontaneous in her every move -- be it while curbing her emotions or while embracing her husband in support. Though every character in Udalazham is realistic, Mathi stands out.It is evident that the makers - be it the director, cinematographer, composer, background scorer or the sound designer -- have put their heart and soul into the movie. The team has drawn healthy performances from the tribespeople who are among the cast. Nobody in the movie looks inexperienced. As Gulikan continues to run away from himself and the world, the movie poses innumerable questions to the viewers. Even as we struggle for the answers, we empathise with Gulikan and his tribe who are like caged animals who can neither get out or remain where they are.If Gulikan represents real nature, we can’t but think of ourselves as intruders. The movie succeeds by making us introspect.