Would you like to tell us about an Indian film that has become a hit since its release…

A film whose name is Kaathal, meaning the heart or core, as we call the family nucleus. The film was released in May for a small part of the country, in Kerala, a state in southern India, but it was only a few weeks ago that the film was screened across the country.

And everywhere, the rooms are full. However, Kaathal is not a traditional Bollywood film, it is a film sung, danced and acted by great actors who are capable of conveying the highest feelings. For all of us, Bollywood is like that :

But what's different about this film?

First of all, this is not a film in Hindi, like the big, colorful and boisterous Bollywood productions produced in Bombay or Mumbai, as India's current economic and cultural capital is known. This is a Malayalam movie:

It means the language of Kerala and its 35 million people. Then, there are no songs, no dances, no epic stories. No, Kaathal is a low budget film set in an ordinary family with a simple yet real feel.

The story of a man, Mathew Devassy, ​​​​who when running for regional head elections had to face his wife's request for divorce and for a simple reason: he no longer wanted to live in lies and unspeakable things, her husband was a homosexual. .

Homosexuality is not taboo in India?

This is not the first time Indian cinema has tackled this issue, but the success and quality of this film shows that something is changing in India. After all, the country decriminalized homosexuality about 5 years ago.

However, what makes this film interesting is its regional identity. In the shadow of Bollywood blockbusters, dozens of other films produced in regional languages ​​in this vast country are enjoying increasing success.

And what Bollywood can't handle straight away are small-budget films, with subtle writing, and bolder subjects. It has even become a kind of privilege for Kerala films in the extraordinary language, namely Malayalam.

Why this particular region of India?

Kerala has a very special history: it is the only state in the Indian Union that throughout its modern history has been ruled by the Communist Party, which means health, education and social policies.

Kerala residents also have the highest standard of living in India. Therefore, there is a modern, cultured middle class that understands that people are talking about them. This is what Malayalam cinema offers: a kind of avant-garde, like the entire state of Kerala.