By Jahnavi Reddy
When I heard about Iraivi, a non-mainstream Tamizh film claimed to be about women, I was really excited to see it (although it’s upsetting that we actually have to look out for and be thrilled about films about women that are made occasionally, as if women are some tiny demographic, like endangered tribes or employees at light bulb factories). Iraivi (Goddess) is director Karthik Subbaraj’s newest film, following Pizza and Jigarthanda. It’s a really fun film that retains the indie hepness and the local feel of Subbaraj’s previous films, with a tagline that reads “Sila woMEN galin kadhai” (The story of a few women).
For a film that claims to tell the story of women, the screen-time is clearly hogged by the men. The film is centered on three male characters: Arul (SJ Surya), his brother Jagan (Bobby Simha), and their family friend Michael (Vijay Sethupathi). The women’s roles are mostly limited to suffering the impact these men’s actions have on their lives. The film spends most of its time depicting these men’s friendships, camaraderie, loyalties and betrayals. Maybe Subbaraj was simply trying to ‘write what he knew’: the film’s a reflection of how much men do know and understand about women, and what women’s stories look like when they’re told by men.
Let’s start with Malarvizhi (Pooja Devariya), who is Michael’s friend with benefits in the beginning of the film. Malarvizhi is a widowed artist, who says she only wants to sleep with Michael because sex is a need. In one scene, Malar refuses to accept Michael’s gift of a shiny diamond necklace, becoming really annoyed and snapping at him for insisting. Clearly, diamonds aren’t this girl’s best friend. Instead, it’s fun sex. As Michael lies in bed next to her and makes advances of love and marriage, Malar tells him she just wants the “three-letter word”, which she can’t say out loud because she’s a woman. Michael’s first guess is Kadhal (love), followed by “Matter” (which is Tamizh slang for sex). “Let’s just fuck”, says Malar. This is wonderful in dismissing the whole delusional generalisation we often hear that men want sex and women want to hold hands and talk about their feelings. Yet, when Michael returns to her after an obligatory arranged marriage, she rejects him coldly but sobs as she watches him leave from her window. So she does have ‘feelings’ for him, but simply doesn’t want to remarry. And now she does what’s best for him by sending him back to his wife. Because what’s a woman without some tears, sacrifice and selflessness, sexual liberation notwithstanding?
Michael’s wife Ponni (Anjali) is a young girl from a village in Tamil Nadu who wants her husband to be a mix of Kamal Haasan, Thala (Ajith) and Thalapathi (Rajinikanth). What she does get is Michael, who is still hung up on Malar at the time of their wedding. Although she overlooks his feelings for Malar and tries to make their marriage work, Michael lands himself in jail while Ponni is carrying their child. She is too disappointed in him to visit him in jail, and doesn’t take their child to visit him either. But this assertive phase is short-lived. Ponni flees to her village when Michael’s friend Jagan confesses his love for her, despite liking him back. Because however irresponsible and inconsiderate her husband is, she thinks he is her destiny.
Ponni doesn’t lack spine or self-respect. She slaps Michael when he asks her if she has had sex with Jagan, telling him he can stay with her if he can live without knowing the answer. Although it’s great to see her finally dictate her own terms in their marriage, what would’ve been greater is if she didn’t feel compelled to stay married to Michael because she believes it’s her destiny, because marriages are supposed to be forever.
Another woman in the film is Yazhini (Kamalinee Mukherjee), who is married to Jagan’s brother Arul. Arul is a film-director whose film is stuck with an evil producer. He drowns his miseries in alcohol. When Yazhini suggests that Arul make a new film and move on, he replies “How can I do that? When you were carrying our daughter, could we have kept her aside and had another child?” This bizarro response is a perfect example of how indifferent and un-empathetic men can be when it comes to women’s experiences.
Arul, Jagan, and Michael plot to steal and re-sell sculptures of goddesses (Iraivi) from dilapidated temples to make enough money to salvage Arul’s film. The sculptor is Arul’s father himself, who approves of the goddess-liberation project. The father says the goddesses are stuck in a bad place just like their now-comatose mother was stuck with him in their marriage. The sculpture stolen is of Kannagi, a goddess from the Tamizh epic Silappatikaram, who burns the city of Madurai to avenge the unjust beheading of her husband by the king. A husband who spends all his money chasing another woman, returning to Kannagi only on going broke.
Iraivi’s men aren’t portrayed as oppressors of women. Instead, they come across as half-hearted, unsuccessful redeemers. There are several instances in the film where the men display their savior complex. In one scene, Jagan goes on a drunken rant, accusing his father, Arul and Michael of mistreating their wives. He also gives a patronising speech about how he doesn’t like to see women suffer in the hands of men, how he’d like to see Ponni freed from the shackles of her unhappy marriage. In another scene, Arul questions sarcastically, “Poruthukarathukkum sagichukkardhukkum namma enna pombalaya? (Are we women to endure and withstand?)”, glorifying the ‘patience and endurance’ that all women supposedly have.
There is also a song where Michael goes on a hallucinogen-induced trip while trapped in a temple. All the women in his life, including Malarvizhi, Ponni, and Yazhini surround him, dressed as goddesses and sing “Neethaan Naan Dhushta, Un Paavathil Sethukiya Uruvam Naa” (You are the sinner, I am a figure sculpted from your sins). It’s like the only alternative to subjugation of women that they can think of is deification. But worshipping women’s tolerance as a virtue is simply an unsolicited burden. Women don’t need to be treated like goddesses. Women need to be treated like people.
Iraivi’s men try to liberate goddesses and mortal women from other men, but men defining what cages women and what frees them is a form of confinement in itself. As the men steal Kannagi’s statue, an old holy man prophesies that one day, Kannagi will free herself from the demons, that she will be liberated and will return home. But if the liberation to be had is from home itself, then there’s no returning.