The movie Kumbalangi Nights ( Malayalam, 2019) is an excellent case study for any movie enthusiast. On paper, the movie is about a dysfunctional family of four brothers in a small town. These protagonists aren’t conventional heroes. They do not get along and hardly operate as a family.
Then there is another family whose design fits the conventional notions. It falls within the accepted social constructs. It has the ingredients of a story that would make a happy family saga.
The movie traces the journey of these two families. It traces the character arcs and the changing nature of their relationships, but also presents a powerful subtext. It is a commentary on patriarchy, hypermasculinity and a sensitive portrayal of conversation on mental health.
The movie uses dining tables as an excellent device to symbolize this journey.
The way they make a first impression, the household with the brothers feels like the broken one and Shammi’s family is the well-oiled one. Let us see how dining tables witness the changing dynamics of these characters.
In one of the first shots, we see a table. Cooked food is kept unattended. The family doesn’t assemble to enjoy the meal together. We see Bobby ( Shane Nigam) who arrives, sets his own plate and eats his meal. He doesn’t check for anyone’s presence, doesn’t invite anyone to join. The dining table is as empty as their brotherhood. The brothers just share a common space , nothing else : not their feelings; not their aspirations; not even a meal.
We see how they have developed their own safe spaces outside the home. We see them share a meal/ drink with their respective friends. Family isn’t their safe space.
The eldest one Saji feels the need to be the figurative head. Thus, he cooks for the family to ensure there is a meal on the table. Caregiving is not the role he asked for. It was an assumed responsibility he took, being the eldest. But he doesn’t command the authority of a patriarch or the love and respect of a matriarch.
Shammi is mysterious. From frame 1, it is clear he has strong notions of ‘a complete man’. He believes in a conventional domestic structure. He believes men have to lead a household, be the provider with a respectful job or business. Only this gives them the right to command respect.
He finds himself best placed to be the patriarch of the family he is married into. In an early dining table scene, when the family is invited for a meal at an uncle’s place, the uncle cooks his signature dish to welcome the newlyweds. The Uncle fondly mentions how there are similarities between him and Shammi. Shammi dismisses the notion right away. He takes pride in his ability to work and make a stable living. There is no comparison.
Saji’s inner conflict of being unable to lead the family is usually channelized to his friend. But an unfortunate accident changes his life. It shakes him to the core. He realizes his inner strength of being a caregiver instead of a conventional provider.
Similarly Bobby who has his own masculine hangups, evolves as he finds love. His carefree, purposeless demeanor finds a direction. He just wants to be with his love interest Baby ( Annaben).
The evolving sensibilities get them to converse, ask for each other’s help for the first time.
In another sequence, we see the brothers sit together as a family for a conversation, when their mother refuses to come back. This is the moment which establishes, over a drink on a table, that all they have is each other. This is the first time we see a seismic shift in their relation.
While Shammi is slowly making his way to become the family patriarch, he faces challenges on the way. Shammi witnesses Baby’s distraction over meals. The patriarch in him, secretly frowns over this insubordination. His idea as the notional patriarch is meals are exclusively family time.
Similarly when she expresses disapproval of a decision on family business, it aggravates Shammi. In his mind, he is the provider of the family who is the custodian of decisions. He takes the decisions, others follow.
During this act, we see the family coming together. They express better and we can see their intent to have each other's back. A prominent force that shapes this evolution is the entry of strong women in their lives- women with agency and decisiveness. When these women put their trust on the brothers, it elevates their self-worth. We see visible changes at home.
The long forgotten tea cups finally come out.
In contrast to the first frame of an empty table, now they have meals together. The table is brimming with people, conversations and a positive disposition. The brothers finally have what they craved for : a family to share a meal with, a family to care and heal with. They don’t have to seek it in the outside world anymore.
We see the power dynamics taking shape in this home. Shammi wants to hold power and demonstrate it by holding the central position on the dining table. In Indian households, an often unnoticed problem is the obsession with sitting positions. The patriarch usually occupies the central position. The women, assuming role of nurturer, takes up a position where she can feed everyone. In this narrative, Shammi secretly believes he is the powerful patriarch taking care of the three women.
When Shammi is newly married, he starts off at one of the side chairs : at the Uncle’s home as well as at their home ( as seen in few of the above images). But now that he has spent some time and sees the danger of insubordination, he decides to make the symbolic move.
The scene captures this shift at a relaxed pace, almost like a harmless move. But by now, we see through Shammi. The shift is not just of a chair from one sitting position to the other, but one that recrafts the family dynamics. We see a change in Shammi’s body language. There is an added dash of confidence and pride of power in his eyes. The glint is unmissable.
In one of the subsequent scenes, Shammi objects to the alliance of Baby with Bobby. He says Bobby is not qualified to share eating space with him. After all, it's his power sanctuary.
Dining tables are the silent witnesses to the changing dynamics of both the families.
Kumbalangi nights does a stellar job in portraying a family as a unit and contrasting versions of masculinity. What may feel broken, may still have the option to be mended when dealt with with care. All it requires is the willingness to engage and an openness to listen and converse.