Kumbalangi Nights — A deliciously intricate portrayal of families and bullies
When I told my best friend that I’ve written a short film on the domestic violence in my childhood, he immediately asked me to watch a Malayalam Film he was shown while studying cinematography in SRFTI — ‘Kumbalangi Nights’. For all the time I took to do so, I blame myself and my lack of non-Hindi-Indian-film watching experience.
In a dilapidated home, brothers Saji, Bobby and Frankie live on an islet. They have a fourth brother — Bonnie, who visits sometimes. The four of them do not share the same mother but they were all born to the same father, who has now passed away. This is a seemingly dysfunctional family. They are poor, their home doesn’t even have a door, they live surrounded by garbage, they do not get along, they feel orphaned and blame each other. On the other hand, in a second home, a smart and tidy Shammy lives with his wife, mother and sister-in-law Baby. This home is ‘proper’ and is rented out to foreigners as an AirBnB. This family seems ‘normal’ but it isn’t because Shammy is a toxic male bully. And then when Bobby from the first house falls in love with Baby from the second, what happens next forms the rest of the film.
The above plot description may sound like a masala love story with an ensuing struggle among two families but this film is anything but formulaic. There are intricately and deliciously crafted details, interconnections and individual stories here. The love story is merely the vehicle for everyone to transform. Also, unlike ‘love’ stories, barring one jarringly shocking climax, the rest of the film’s structure doesn’t have any dramatic moments. Things here are nuanced, mature, they are real yet beautiful!
This story, written by Syam Pushkaran, questions what is ‘normal’ in a family, it questions what the concept of ‘family’ means to begin with, it asks what it is like to be a ‘man’, it contrasts one man’s redeeming reaction to a bad childhood versus another man’s descent into toxicity.
‘Kumbalangi Nights’ is a beautiful film, bathed in the texture of Kerala. The backwaters of Kerala almost constitute an independent character in this movie. Shot beautifully by DOP Shyju Khalid, the poverty the brothers live in also appears beautiful and aesthetic. The naturally fertile terrain of Kerala provides a gorgeous backdrop to play out these human stories in. It is perhaps because this is the first Malayali film I’ve watched but I thought the performances were superlative, the characters felt like real people, alive and breathing right next to you. The eldest brother Saji (played by Soubin Shahir) exudes warmth and vulnerability despite tragedy, whereas Shammy (played by Producer Fahadh Faasil himself) is so convincing, you begin shifting in your seat watching him. Debutante Anna Ben as Baby disarms you with her innocence. And absolutely soulful music elevates the film, ‘Cherathukal’ by Sithara Krishnakumar and Sushin Shyam takes the cake! But the credit for all of it coming together nearly perfectly belongs primarily to Writer Syam Pushkaran and debutante Director Madhu C Narayanan!
It is so refreshing and humbling to discover Indian cinema beyond just Hindi. Films like these are a sign of more evolved makers, stories and audiences in different parts of this vast country.
Word to the wise: The non-Hindi language, the slowish pace and the lack of exaggerated drama in this film will bore viewers who aren’t used to such movies but if you have crossed that threshold, immerse yourself in this beautiful world and let its beauty wash over you!
‘Kumbalangi Nights’ streams on Prime in India.
