Opinion | Decoding Aattam: When doing the right thing becomes the hardest choice

Filmmaker Anand Ekarshi's feature debut, Aattam, has captured the imagination of audiences nationwide following its stunning success at the 70th National Film Awards. The movie won three awards, including the coveted Best Feature Film.

It has been streaming on Amazon Prime Video for many weeks now. However, the film's haul at the National Awards finally pushed me to end my procrastination and commit 139 minutes of my life to watching this drama, which offers a heightened sense of realism.

ALSO READ: Aattam's big win at National Film Awards 2024 and the rise of Malayalam cinema

Aattam is an absolutely easy watch. Unlike most indie movies, Aattam doesn’t deal with abstract ideas or struggle with complex narratives. Instead, it delivers a straightforward and engaging story that resonates with a broad audience. It's like watching one's social media timeline—contrasting, embarrassing, and even outright shameful revelations unfold as 11 men gather to discuss a sexual assault that occurred against the lone female member of their drama troupe.

Anjali (Zarin Shihab) has been part of the theatre group for more than 16 years. She trusts everyone in the group like family, which allows her to feel safe surrounded by men. Or she makes a great effort to trust them and feel safe among these men. There is a scene very early in the movie where Anjali shudders in fear when one of her teammates calls her name while she's alone in the group's tempo traveller. She masks her fear by taking the risk of feeling safe in the group's company.

Following a successful show, one of the generous audience members offers the group a night at a resort. The drinks flow freely, inhibitions disappear, and everyone mingles with each other without reservation. Anjali lowers her defences, partakes in drinking, and plays games. In the back of our minds, we know what's likely to happen. We know that she will be subjected to a sexual assault and that she will be blamed for being irresponsible, for not behaving womanly, and for drinking with men. Anjali should know better, right? She must be aware that men behave irrationally under the influence of alcohol and that society considers being drunk a perfectly excusable reason to commit wrongs, no?

Well, as public discourse has evolved to a great extent, it has become unfashionable to let harassers off the hook, citing the alcohol in their blood. But, well into the movie, the men use Anjali's intoxication to gaslight her into believing that nobody touched her. "You seem to have a case of tactical disillusionment," says one of the respected senior members of the group, effectively blaming Anjali for her sheer inability to forgive the man who violated her body.

Aattam explores the flawed sense of morality and the twisted system of justice prevailing in society. The men contemplate, argue, and disagree on how to handle a case of sexual assault involving their colleagues. The intention of this noble exercise is not to give comfort, solidarity, and justice to Anjali, but to do what's best for them. For some, it’s about coming across as the knight in shining armour; for others, it’s an opportunity to settle a personal score; for some, it's a moment of vindication. For Anjali's boyfriend Vinay (Vinay Forrt), it's probably the only opportunity to get Hari (Kalabhavan Shajohn) ousted from the group so that the lead character comes back to him.

Anand Ekarshi's men in Aattam feel so real. You know these men and can identify them with someone you know. Their thought processes, ideologies, hypocrisies, aspirations, needs, doubts, and their determination to do the right thing—until doing the right thing is not as rewarding as siding with the assaulter. The men in Aattam don't say it in exact words, but this is the approximation of their argument: "Okay, we understand that Anjali was touched inappropriately, and she knows who did it. We believe her, but at the same time, we can't take her word at face value. But, can you fully blame the man who did it? Come on, we all know how she dresses. And most importantly, she was drunk. Now, should we try to do right by a team member who has been with us for 16 years, or force her to compromise with her assaulter? Or should we batter her with questions and insulting arguments until she quits the group, so that we can enjoy the benefits of being friends with the assaulter, who is famous, influential, and can change our lives?"

What do you think all the men in the group unanimously concluded?

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