19(1)(a) is an earnest and heartfelt portrayal of our turbulent socio-political climate

Early on in 19(1)(a), the new Malayalam film streaming on Disney Hotstar, there is a brief scene where a local citizen is being interviewed by a TV journalist about their protest against the local Panchayat’s decision of cutting down trees where he says, “these trees should have the freedom to conserve themselves.” The first time we notice the motif of nature conservation, the visual arrives in an off-hand moment as one of the many sights on our protagonist (Nithya Menen) daily commute to work. She takes a quick look at it, before looking back at the road. However, in the interview scene here, we find ourselves immersed in that brief moment of tranquility as she looks up and notices the trees that surround her.

The concern for nature comes up again when Gauri (Vijay Sethupathi), the revolutionary writer figure, casually asks a tea-stall owner who whines about snakes coming on the highway, why the act of a snake approaching the mainland is deemed wrong but making roads through these hills, which are the natural habitat for these creatures, is not. In a film that ponders over our collective right to freedom of expression, some of its most moving moments come from its view of nature as one of us, that deserves equal autonomy and empathy - and it’s in moments like these (and there are plenty of them) where 19(1)(a) works best, wearing its magnanimous heart and noble intentions on its sleeve.

Written and directed by debutant Indhu VS, 19(1)(a) goes very deftly about its political commentary, keeping it vocal and subtle at once, spending most of its runtime delivering fragmented yet well-meaning sermons about the importance of freedom and a system that continues to stifle it. There are no political parties overtly named, but a brief comment about the intolerance of Hindutva custodians is enough to register the concern. In a news bulletin running in the background, the anchor mentions the death of a Kannadiga writer, which is a clear reference to Gauri Lankesh, especially considering how our writer protagonist is named after her. At another point, Gauri’s leanings towards Ambedkarite ideology are explained to be the reason for the threat to his life.  19-1-a primarily leaves an impact because it never looks unafraid of ruffling the majoritarian feathers.

Even though it starts with the scene of an implied murder, 19(1)(a) is not a thriller by any means and avoids taking the procedural route, dwelling upon instead the changes and constants that follow the above-said incident. Indhu VS spends enough time establishing Penkutty (as the protagonist is credited on IMDB, even though she remains nameless in the film), taking diligent close shots early on that capture her routine in sincere detail - including how she starts her bike and how she works each step at the photostat machine, at the shop that she owns and manages.  At first glance, Penkutty’s life might seem poles apart from Gauri’s - however, one gradually realizes Penkutty probably has more in common with Gauri than is visible on the surface. Hidden under the calm, sincere adherence to routine and work ethic, there is a streak of resistance in Penkutty which occasionally erupts, like when she tries to confront her best friend Fathima (Athulya Ashadam) who has agreed to get married after much pestering by her family. “Have you ever tried objecting?,” she asks her. Similar resistance is later observed in Gauri’s conversations with his friend Anand (Indrajit Sukumaran), as he explains why he chooses to write what he does. The film finds a beautiful way to connect political and personal liberty, with many moments built around Penkutty and Fathima and the life choices they make that reflect the nearly-invisible patriarchy that engulfs them nonetheless.  Fathima has very little authority in her life, even though she doesn’t seem to mind it. Penkutty too is more bound in her choices than it appears to be, finding herself unable to pursue further studies because of her household responsibilities.

There are a few places when the narrative struggles to balance trying the personal and the political. The understated writing works when we observe Penkutty (as our protagonist is credited on IMDB) undergo a gradual transformation after learning more about Gauri, but it also hampers the emotional impact of Penkutty’s relationship with her father Gangettan. When Gangettan talks about a traumatic event from the past, it makes no impact because of how little we are told about the father-daughter and their currently embittered equation.

My favorite stretch of the film, then, is also its most verbose, with Gauri Shankar interacting with two men whose way of living life couldn’t be more at odds. Anand is Gauri’s old-time friend, and more importantly, a successful publishing head. He is also a centrist of sorts, worried about Gauri while also remaining disapproving of his choices. Mohanan (Indrans) is a 50-something constable, on the brink of retirement. Gauri has two interactions with these two men on the same night, that show us the two sides of the same coin of compromise.  While Anand preaches about the importance of having growth in life (which he insists is different from materialism) and finding meaning in life once he found stability in managing his father’s publishing house, the second man, who is much older, nonchalantly admits the comfort of having a monthly salary and how it muted every grating thought in his head. When Indrans begins to talk about his early ambitions of becoming a singer, Gauri asks him to sing. As Mohanan begins to sing an old Yesudas song, we briefly shift to a sense of idyllic which has no space for ideological differences or political debates - before Indhu VS abruptly jolts us back to the harsh reality, as Gauri reaches home and finds another adversity awaiting him.

19(1)(a) is pleasantly unstructured in its course, and yet never runs out of ways to talk about things it holds close to its heart.

BH Harsh is a film critic who spends most of his time watching movies and making notes, hoping to create, as Peggy Olsen put it, something of lasting value.

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