rekha movie review malayalam

Rekha Movie Review: Vincy Aloshious soars in minimalist revenge drama

Rating: ( 3.5 / 5).

Jithin Issac Thomas' new film Rekha sounds like one of the many twisted tales narrated by his main character from his debut feature, Attention Please . The setting is Kasaragod, and the makers were wise enough to keep English subtitles. Despite being someone from the Malabar region, I had to look at the translation below to comprehend some of the characters' lines. The first film that comes to mind when I think of Kasaragod is Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam , and for a while there, Rekha moves with a kind of pace and tone that makes one assume that it's going to be another one like it. But this being a Jithin Issac Thomas film, anything can happen. I mean, this is the same guy who made the segment 'Pra. Thoo. Mu ' from the anthology Freedom Fight . If you think you are getting a feel-good film, think again. Even if that were his intention, I believe he'll make sure you get very uncomfortable first.

Director: Jithin Issac Thomas Cast: Vincy Aloshious, Unni Lalu The star and USP of Rekha are Vincy Aloshious playing the titular tomboyish woman in love with Arjun, an unemployed young man from the neighbourhood, played by the gifted Unni Lalu, who essayed the rebellious protagonist from Pra. Thoo. Mu. The lion's share of Rekha's pre-interval portions sets up the romance between the two while giving us a sense of the neighbourhood -- the sights, sounds, the homes of Rekha and Arjun, their neighbours, the mundane small talk comprising subjects irrelevant and insignificant to an outsider but a big deal for these people. When you have characters exchange banter in their own dialect, peppered with their own quirks, you sit there soaking it all in. It's just the little things -- an argument about a hen laying eggs in the next home, an attempt to retrieve a metal vessel that has fallen into the well, a local member moonlighting as a broker... In the meantime, we get a bit of background about Rekha. She has been to a sports school and is prepping for PSC. Only one of these details would turn useful at a crucial juncture in her life. There is an immersive quality to the visual and sound design, notwithstanding the minimalist approach. Director of photography Abraham Joseph, who made a mark in Kumari , fills the atmosphere with enough grit and menace. The closing nighttime stretch in a deserted Kochi street has an otherwordly quality while being careful not to make every frame look pretty. One of the film's most notable sequences has the main couple engaged in a phone text interaction before they video call each other. We have seen the onscreen chatbox display approach before, but if I recall correctly, the actors' voices 'reading out' their respective messages while their lips don't move is a first. Impatient viewers might find such a thing cumbersome, but there is a seemingly good reason for Jithin to extend these digital interactions. Another scene has Arjun barging into Rekha's home unannounced in the hope of making love. This moment is remarkably staged, with Vincy superbly portraying Rekha's concerns about discovery and apprehension at making physical contact for the first time. For a while, you think it's all so sweet until this clandestine rendezvous' true and twisted implications become apparent much later. Unlike Attention Please , Rekha manages to venture outside the main characters' setting after a point -- when it morphs into an intense revenge thriller after Rekha discovers an act of injustice. When Arjun goes on the run, she is devastated. Jithin, who has in his last two films shown a penchant for conveying a character's troubled state of mind through masterful editing, portrays some of Rekha's most turbulent episodes similarly, with intercuts, blurs, and surreal imagery. When Rekha finally goes into avenger mode, the film brings the promise of severe retribution, be it the way she deals with Arjun or any other sicko she meets along the way. And, in any film featuring characters with deviant behaviour, unsettling situations go with the territory. But unlike this week's other release, Christopher, these are not too disturbing as Rekha is a film where fate favours the woman more. However, if you are a pet lover, the offscreen murder of a dog might shake you. Rekha is not an easy film to watch. However, the protagonist's 'sports background' offers a comforting cushion in several situations of peril for the once-naive woman who got into a relationship because she was bothered by all her 'taken' friends. I found the third act chase stretched out more than necessary; perhaps Jithin wanted to present a stark contrast to the elonged lovey-dovey portions I mentioned earlier. The sustained tension works in most places, but at the same time, there was the nagging feeling that perhaps taking out 15 mins could've made the third act tighter and more engaging. As the end credits rolled, I remembered that Valentine's Day arrives in four days. Perhaps Rekha was intended as a cautionary tale for those desperate to get into a relationship to show others that they also "have a line." Tread carefully, young ones.

• Latest News
• Grihalakshmi
• Forgot password
• My bookmarks

Movies-Music

• rekha movie

സ്ത്രീ ജിവിതത്തിന്റെ യഥാര്‍ഥ ചിത്രം, കിടിലന്‍ തിരക്കഥ; ത്രില്ലിങ്ങാണ് രേഖ| Review

സരിന്‍.എസ്.രാജന്‍, 10 february 2023, 01:37 pm ist.

പ്ര ണയം അതിസുന്ദരമായ വികാരമാണ്. കണ്‍മുന്നില്‍ ഉള്ളതെല്ലാം അതിസുന്ദരമെന്ന് തോന്നിക്കുന്ന ഒരു സുന്ദര വികാരം. അത്തരമൊരു പ്രണയകാവ്യവുമായി എത്തി പ്രേക്ഷകരെ ത്രില്ലിങ്ങിന്റെ അങ്ങേയറ്റത്ത് കൊണ്ടെത്തിക്കുന്ന ചിത്രമാണ് രേഖ. പേര് സൂചിപ്പിക്കുന്നത് പോലെ തന്നെ ടൈറ്റില്‍ കഥാപാത്രമായ രേഖ ആയിട്ടെത്തുന്നത് വിന്‍സി അലോഷ്യസാണ്.

ഇടയ്ക്ക് എപ്പോഴോ രേഖയുടെ മനസില്‍ പ്രണയത്തിന്റെ പൂമൊട്ടുകകള്‍ വിരിയുന്നു. മനസ്സ് മുഴുവന്‍ അര്‍ജുന്‍ എന്നയാളോടുള്ള പ്രണയം മാത്രമായി രേഖ ഒതുങ്ങുന്നു. ഒടുവിൽ വഞ്ചന തിരിച്ചറിയുമ്പോള്‍ രേഖയിലുണ്ടാവുന്ന മാറ്റങ്ങളാണ് ചിത്രത്തിന്റെ ആകെ തുക.

വ്യത്യസ്തയുള്ള കഥാപാത്രങ്ങള്‍ അവതരിപ്പിച്ച് പ്രേക്ഷകരുടെ കൈയടി നേടാറുള്ള വിന്‍സി ഇക്കുറിയും പതിവ് തെറ്റിച്ചില്ല. സ്ത്രീത്വത്തിന് മുന്‍തൂക്കം നല്‍കി ഒരുക്കിയിട്ടുള്ള രേഖ വെള്ളിത്തിരയിലെത്തുന്നത് വ്യത്യസ്തയുളള പ്രമേയവുമായിട്ടാണ്. അര്‍ജുനായി എത്തിയ ഉണ്ണി ലാലുവും മികച്ച പ്രകടനമാണ് കാഴ്ച വെച്ചിരിക്കുന്നത്.

കരുത്തുറ്റ തിരക്കഥയാണ് ചിത്രത്തിന്റെ മറ്റൊരു ഹൈലെറ്റ്. ഇനിയെന്തെന്ന് പ്രേക്ഷകര്‍ക്ക് ഒരു സൂചനയും കൊടുക്കാതെയാണ് ചിത്രം മുന്നോട്ട് പോകുന്നത്. എന്തും സഹിച്ച് കഴിയുന്നവളല്ല, തടസ്സങ്ങള്‍ നിര്‍ഭയത്തോടെ അഭിമുഖീകരിക്കുന്നവരാണ് ആധുനിക സ്ത്രീസമൂഹം. രേഖ എന്ന ടൈറ്റില്‍ കഥാപാത്രം ആധുനിക സ്ത്രീത്വത്തിന്റെ പ്രതീകമാകുകയാണിവിടെ. മറ്റ് സ്ത്രീകഥാപാത്രങ്ങള്‍ ദുര്‍ബലമാകുമ്പോള്‍ നിര്‍ഭയത്തോടെ മുന്നേറാന്‍ രേഖയ്ക്ക് കഴിയുന്നു.

ഒരു നിമിഷത്തിന്റെ ട്വിസ്റ്റിലാണ് ചിത്രത്തിന്റെ ഗതി മാറി ഒഴുകുന്നത്. രേഖ എന്ന സ്ത്രീ കടന്നു പോകുന്ന മനോവികാരങ്ങള്‍ വിന്‍സിയുടെ കൈകളില്‍ ഭദ്രമായിരുന്നു.

രേഖയുടെ ജീവിതവും ജീവിതരീതികളും മികച്ച രീതിയില്‍ ഒപ്പിയെടുക്കാന്‍ ഛായാഗ്രാഹകന് കഴിഞ്ഞു. കാസർകോടൻ ശൈലിയുള്ള സംഭാഷണങ്ങള്‍ കഥയക്ക് കുറച്ച് കൂടി പുതുമ നല്‍കുന്നു.

ചെറിയ ഒരു കഥ ഏതൊക്കെ രീതിയില്‍ മനോഹരമാക്കാന്‍ കഴിയുമോ ആ രീതിയില്‍ എല്ലാം മനോഹരമാക്കാന്‍ സംവിധായകനും ചിത്രത്തിന്റെ രചയിതാവുമായ ജിതിന്‍ ഐസക് തോമസിന് സാധിച്ചു. രണ്ട് മണിക്കൂര്‍ ത്രില്ലിങ്ങായ സ്‌ക്രിപ്റ്റ് കൊണ്ടും മേക്കിങ്ങിലെ വ്യത്യസ്ത കൊണ്ടും പ്രേക്ഷകരെ പിടിച്ചിരുത്താന്‍ ചിത്രത്തിന് സാധിച്ചു.

സംവിധായകന്‍ കാര്‍ത്തിക് സുബ്ബരാജിന്റെ നിര്‍മാണ കമ്പനിയായ സ്റ്റോണ്‍ ബെഞ്ചേഴ്‌സാണ് ചിത്രം പ്രേക്ഷകര്‍ക്ക് മുന്നിലെത്തിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നത്.

Content Highlights: rekha malayalam movie review, jithin issac thomas, vincy aloshious, unni lalu

Share this Article

Related topics, rekha movie, film review, get daily updates from mathrubhumi.com, related stories.

ആഡംബര ഫ്‌ളാറ്റിലെ കെയര്‍ടേക്കര്‍ മാത്രമല്ല, എല്ലാമെല്ലാമാണ് പവിത്രന്‍ | Pavi CareTaker Review 

തമാശകൾക്കൊടുവിൽ കളികാര്യമാകുമ്പോൾ; നീണ്ട നാളുകള്‍ക്ക് ശേഷം 'ഒരു സര്‍ക്കാര്‍ ഉത്പന്നം'

ദുബായിലെത്തുന്ന അയ്യരും കുടുംബവും; നര്‍മം മാത്രമല്ല കാലികപ്രസക്തമാണ് 'അയ്യര്‍ ഇന്‍ അറേബ്യ' | Review

നവീനായി കളം നിറഞ്ഞ് കാളിദാസ് ജയറാം; അടിമുടി ട്വിസ്റ്റ്‌ | Rajani Review

വാര്‍ത്തകളോടു പ്രതികരിക്കുന്നവര്‍ അശ്ലീലവും അസഭ്യവും നിയമവിരുദ്ധവും അപകീര്‍ത്തികരവും സ്പര്‍ധ വളര്‍ത്തുന്നതുമായ പരാമര്‍ശങ്ങള്‍ ഒഴിവാക്കുക. വ്യക്തിപരമായ അധിക്ഷേപങ്ങള്‍ പാടില്ല. ഇത്തരം അഭിപ്രായങ്ങള്‍ സൈബര്‍ നിയമപ്രകാരം ശിക്ഷാര്‍ഹമാണ്. വായനക്കാരുടെ അഭിപ്രായങ്ങള്‍ വായനക്കാരുടേതു മാത്രമാണ്, മാതൃഭൂമിയുടേതല്ല. ദയവായി മലയാളത്തിലോ ഇംഗ്ലീഷിലോ മാത്രം അഭിപ്രായം എഴുതുക. മംഗ്ലീഷ് ഒഴിവാക്കുക..

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

രസച്ചരടിൽ കോർത്തൊരു കല്യാണമേളം, കളറാണ് 'മന്ദാകിനി' | REVIEW

കുറ്റാന്വേഷണത്തിന്റെ പുതുവഴി; ക്ലാസും റിയലിസ്റ്റിക്കുമാണ് 'തലവൻ'| Thalavan Review

'നേര്' തേടുന്ന യാത്ര, പ്രകടനമികവുമായി മോഹൻലാലും അനശ്വരയും | Neru Review

അവ​ഗണനയ്ക്കും അടിച്ചമർത്തലുകൾക്കും എതിരെ 'ജാക്സൺ ബസാർ യൂത്തി'ന്റെ ബാൻഡ് മേളം | Movie Review

More from this section.

രസച്ചരടിൽ കോർത്തൊരു കല്യാണമേളം, കളറാണ് 'മന്ദാകിനി' ...

കുറ്റാന്വേഷണത്തിന്റെ പുതുവഴി; ക്ലാസും റിയലിസ്റ്റിക്കുമാണ് ...

അതേ... ആക്ഷൻ സിനിമകളുടെ കുറവ് അങ്ങ് തീർത്തുകൊടുത്തിട്ടുണ്ട്, ...

കളർഫുള്ളാണ്, കലക്കനാണ്, കാണേണ്ട കാഴ്ചയാണ് ഈ കല്യാണം ...

Most commented.

• Mathrubhumi News
• Media School

• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use
• Subscription
• Classifieds

© Copyright Mathrubhumi 2024. All rights reserved.

• Other Sports
• News in Videos
• Entertainment
• One Minute Video
• Stock Market
• Mutual Fund
• Personal Finance
• Savings Center
• Commodities
• Products & Services
• Pregnancy Calendar
• Arogyamasika
• Azhchappathippu
• News & Views
• Notification
• Social issues
• Social Media
• Destination
• Thiruvananthapuram
• Pathanamthitta
• News In Pics
• Taste & Travel
• Photos & Videos

Click on ‘Get News Alerts’ to get the latest news alerts from

Rekha Movie Review (2023)

• 10 Feb 2023

The filmmaking is better than the writing in Jithin Issac Thomas’s ‘Rekha’, a love story that morphs into a detective story

Rekha Movie Cast & Crew

The pre-interval stretch of Rekha gives no idea about what lies later. What we get at first is a beautiful depiction of a family and the small, sleepy community that surrounds them. If a vessel for filling up water falls accidentally into a well, the splash sound is enough to arouse everyone to action. Even earlier, we have had some amusement about a mother who's upset that her hen is not laying eggs. She vents her anger on her daughter, who's still asleep. The father is kinder. Even without overt gestures of affection, we feel his closeness with the daughter, who's the Rekha of the title. The director, Jithin Issac Thomas, seems to be in a much calmer mood than he was in Attention Please , which was an angry film about art being the ultimate weapon. Rekha is more about the heart. Again, I'm only talking about the pre-interval stretch.

Vincy Aloshious plays Rekha, and Unni Lalu is her boyfriend, Arjun. The film  spends a lot of time showing them being in love. Arjun sneaks into her house on his birthday and demands a kiss, and we feel Rekha's apprehension about expressing her love in this community. Is there a caste angle, too? There was a prominent Dalit angle in Attention Please , and in Rekha , there's an anganwadi teacher who's slut-shamed after having an affair. I couldn’t say if this was because this teacher belonged to a particular community, or because she was just a woman in a patriarchal society. Either way, the Rekha-Arjun  portions are brilliantly timed and shot – a mixture of chats and calls and, later, a mixture of hand-holding and pleading from both sides. Through the agonising length of this stretch (and it's a good kind of agony, almost like severely extended foreplay), the director makes us feel – almost at a molecular level – both Arjun's desire and Rekha's desire mixed with fear.

There are some wonderful bits of social observation here. A girl need not feel love in order to be in love. The fact that her friends are in love – that is, peer pressure – may be enough to make her crave these feelings. Another thing that makes Rekha different is her talent for sports and her muscular strength – she studied in a sports school. And of course, the men are appalled. One of them comments about the dishonour a girl can bring to her family if she is into such "unfeminine" activities. But Rekha’s father supports her when she says she doesn't want to get married at this moment. It's another reminder that Rekha is close with her father, as is her request that he stop sleeping outside the house just because it is too hot inside. She cares, she really cares about this man. And then something happens: to Rekha, and to her father.

And something happens to the movie, too. The gentle strings in the songs and the background score change into loud electric-guitar rock riffs. The naturalistic lighting turns into blocks of neon colours. A dog that dies in the first half returns as a barking banshee in the soundtrack, and there’s another off-screen incident of animal killing. And Rekha who used her muscular strength playfully in the first half now uses it in a different way. And we finally return to the anger of Attention Please . There, the anger belonged to a screenwriter sick of being suppressed in the hierarchy of cinema talent. Here, the anger belongs to a woman who needs closure. And also revenge. And also resolution of her own guilt in precipitating the big interval moment. Vincy Aloshious is amazing. She does not emote much but we feel everything she's feeling – on behalf of Rekha, and on behalf of other women. In a way, she becomes "the man of the house".

But midway through the second half, the film starts losing its grip. The writing follows the same feel as we got earlier. There, it was an agonising wait for the couple to come together. Now, it is an agonising wait for Rekha's to succeed in her mission. But this time, the agonising wait is really… agonising. For one, the events are predictable. And two, the change in genre, so to speak, isn't handled with much inventiveness. I liked small touches like a woman becoming a stalker – whatever the situation is – and a love story turning into something of a detective story. I liked how Rekha's fear in the first half now becomes the fear of another character. But I wish Jithin had been a little subtler. We get the instance of a man who turned into a womaniser almost genetically, because his father was one, too. But this is too simplistic for a film that wants to make big points about gender and guilt and patriarchy. There's no doubt that Rekha is a well-made movie. I just wished the writing had matched the filmmaking.

Dada Movie Review

Family movie review.

• 06 Feb 2023
• About The Author
• More From Author

Baradwaj Rangan

National Award-winning film critic Baradwaj Rangan, former deputy editor of The Hindu and senior editor of Film Companion, has carved a niche for himself over the years as a powerful voice in cinema, especially the Tamil film industry, with his reviews of films. While he was pursuing his chemical engineering degree, he was fascinated with the writing and analysis of world cinema by American critics. Baradwaj completed his Master’s degree in Advertising and Public Relations through scholarship. His first review was for the Hindi film Dum, published on January 30, 2003, in the Madras Plus supplement of The Economic Times. He then started critiquing Tamil films in 2014 and did a review on the film Subramaniapuram, while also debuting as a writer in the unreleased rom-com Kadhal 2 Kalyanam. Furthermore, Baradwaj has authored two books - Conversations with Mani Ratnam, 2012, and A Journey Through Indian Cinema, 2014. In 2017, he joined Film Companion South and continued to show his prowess in critiquing for the next five years garnering a wide viewership and a fan following of his own before announcing to be a part of Galatta Media in March 2022.

Christopher Movie Review

• 09 Feb 2023

Faraaz Movie Review

• 03 Feb 2023

Thankam Movie Review

• 26 Jan 2023

You may also like

Agent Kannayiram Movie Review

• 25 Nov 2022

Miral Movie Review

• 11 Nov 2022

Trigger Movie Review

• 23 Sep 2022

Diary Movie Review

• 26 Aug 2022

Paper Rocket Movie Review

• 29 Jul 2022

Stay Connected

• 1,957,217 Likes
• 402,501 Followers
• 6,670,000 Followers

Latest News

SURPRISE: Pichaikkaran 2 opening scene release - here's Vijay Antony's grand announcement!

The much-awaited video from Ajith Kumar's THUNIVU is out - AK's fans rejoice! WATCH IT...

Suriya 42 team makes an exciting new announcement - a big opportunity for Suriya fans! Check out!

EXCLUSIVE: Vaathi director Venky Atluri reveals what he decided to skip for Dhanush's...

BIG SURPRISE: 'Thalapathy' Vijay and Lokesh Kanagaraj's new 'Bloody...

• Andhra Pradesh
• Lok Sabha Elections 2024
• South Shots
• In The News
• Dakshin Dialogues

• Opinion & Analysis

• Health & Wellness
• Community & Culture

• Home » Movies » Rekha Malayalam Movie Review

Rekha review: An intriguing thriller with an intense performance by Vincy Aloshious

Supported by an incredible script, director Jithin Issac Thomas delivers an amazing love-revenge thriller.

Published:Feb 11, 2023

Jithin Isaac Thomas' 'Rekha' is a love-revenge thriller. (Jithinjit94/Twitter)

Miss it not!

Rekha (Malayalam)

• Cast: Vincy Aloshious, Unni Lalu, Premalatha Thayineri, Rajesh Azhikkodan, Renji Kankol, Prathapan KS, and Vishnu Govindan
• Writer-Director: Jithin Issac Thomas
• Producer:  Kaarthekeyan Santhanam
• Music: The Escape Medium, Milan VS, and Nikhil V
• Runtime: 2 hours 3 minutes
• Cast: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Emraan Hashmi, and Revathy
• Director: Maneesh Sharma
• Producer: Aditya Chopra
• Music: Pritam Chakraborty
• Runtime: 2 hours 35 minutes

Jithin Thomas Issac’s Rekha is yet another love story that Indian Cinema usually loves to celebrate. Its trailer indicated intimate scenes that may make it only watchable for a set audience, at least in rural areas.

Young actor Vincy Aloshious dons the titular role of Rekha who is on a mission.

The events that led her to go on with her mission take the story to a different level which makes the movie a thriller.

Rekha can be put under the genre of a love-revenge thriller.

Content-driven movie

Rekha is set in a village in the Kasaragod district in northern Kerala. The language used has done justice to the script.

But there are possibilities for a person from another district, say Kottayam or Kollam, to understand the local language with a very different slang. However, from the viewpoint of the director, it’s a good way of filmmaking.

Love and lust are two sides of a coin. No need for any explanation of that theory. Rekha has everything, it has love-making scenes, and online chats via WhatsApp.

A key character dies and Rekha is behind the mystery of this painful incident.

Her journey from Kasargod to Kochi in search of an answer to this incident that caused her mental trauma is crucial to the plot.

Well-written characters

Certain incidents following her travel keep the film engaging. The script of the story by the director itself keeps the movie at a good pace.

Just before the interval, some of the audience may be able to predict Rekha’s doubts. Certain interactions between Rekha and Arjun justify the suspicion of the audience.

Vincy Aloshious in ‘Rekha’. (stonebenchers/Twitter)

Post-interval, the film turns out to be in an investigation mode. It’s not a normal police procedure but cinematic elements and the director’s liberty have been utilised for making the movie a superb watch.

Rekha is a typical Malayalee girl aiming for a government job. She falls in love with an unemployed man named Arjun.

Her relationship with her father and how she overcomes the tragedy that struck her family are portrayed well by Vincy Aloshious. This is her career’s best performance.

Love towards her parents doesn’t stop her from finding the truth and settling it unlawfully.

Rekha develops anxiety and insomnia after the tragic incident. She even doubts her boyfriend at some point.

The director also gives hints about certain characteristics of her boyfriend who has weird behaviour.

Unni Lalu as Arjun has all the mannerisms of a lover. His character has a reference to his dad who is a womaniser.

In the story, the traits of a father are carried on by his son who has affairs with multiple women.

There are many other characters in the movie who are mostly shown in Kasargod. The unemployment issue also gets a passing mention.

The life in villages, people who doubt the relationship between men and women, the usual marriage-alliance talks for a grown-up girl, and a concerned or nagging mom are some of the factors that make Rekha realistic.

#REKHA ✨ From TODAY @karthiksubbaraj @stonebenchers @kaarthekeyens pic.twitter.com/4wrx17CMI2 — Jithin Issac Thomas (@Jithinjit94) February 10, 2023

Overdose of violence

After the emergence of OTT platforms, violence and gore are being extensively showcased in films.

Rekha also has such scenes which may not be in favour of weak-hearted people.

A poster of ‘Rekha’ movie. (stonebenchers/Twitter)

The script also doesn’t give importance to the rule of law. But that’s the freedom of the filmmaker.

Revenge gets a unique format in this movie. If we saw a version of violence in 22 Female Kottayam, Rekha is not an exception; a bit gorier intact.

Cinematographer Abraham Joseph beautifully captures the scenic beauty of Kasargod and the urban life of Kochi.

The movie also has some good songs composed by The Escape Medium, Milan VS, and Nikhil V.

Rekha ends up as a good revenge thriller movie by Jithin Issac Thomas who earlier directed the critically-acclaimed Attention Please .

Vincy Aloysious’ stellar performance and the good script make Rekha an intense thriller and a must-watch.

(Views expressed are personal.)

Here’s our trailer #REKHA 💫 Link: https://t.co/hQIKGt4dta The film is hitting the screens on February 10th !! @karthiksubbaraj @stonebenchers @kaarthekeyens #unnilalu #vincysonyaloshious pic.twitter.com/YHAh2B2Q6T — Jithin Issac Thomas (@Jithinjit94) February 4, 2023

Tags:  

• Entertainment
• film review
• Malayalam cinema
• Malayalam movies
• Movie review

Recommended For You

EXCLUSIVE: Scriptwriter Deepu Pradeep gets candid about his latest hit ‘Guruvayoor Ambala Nadayil’ and quirky characters in his films

May 28, 2024

EXCLUSIVE: I’m happy about my journey so far in cinema, says Rajesh Madhavan

May 26, 2024

30 Years of Biju Menon: Here are five best films of the versatile actor

May 25, 2024

Bhaiyya Ji review: Manoj Bajpayee buckles under this deafening actioner

PT Sir review: This tone-deaf film masquerades as a self-aware exercise

Latest news.

Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar should consult senior party leaders on MLC candidates: G Parameshwara

Tamil Nadu Governor Ravi pays tribute to Savarkar

SIT arrests two for distributing videos of alleged sexual abuse by Karnataka MP Prajwal Revanna

Actor Fahadh Faasil reveals ADHD diagnosis at 41

Multi-path FYUGP for colleges, AI powered classes and lessons on POCSO in Kerala schools

Former task force chief says KCR ordered arrest of BJP’s BL Santhosh

Procedure to bring back Prajwal Revanna will start if he doesn’t turn up on 31 May: Karnataka home minister

Agnipath recruitment scheme is a national security threat, says Congress

Narendra Modi likely to visit Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Tamil Nadu on 30 May

Norway Chess: Praggnanandhaa beats France’s Firouzja Alireza in Armageddon

Welfare schemes, policies in India not oriented towards poor: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram

Kochi witnesses extremely heavy rainfall; IMD issues red alert for Ernakulam, Kottayam districts

Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies: The feel-good hit Bollywood needed

Dietary guidelines of ICMR-NIN fail to do due diligence, exhibit food bias

Bellur town in Karnataka tense as mob attacks houses, Hindu outfits call for Bandh

Kerala restaurant sealed after 70 people have food poisoning

Rekha (2023)

• User Reviews

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews

• User Ratings
• External Reviews
• Metacritic Reviews
• Full Cast and Crew
• Release Dates
• Official Sites
• Company Credits
• Filming & Production
• Technical Specs
• Plot Summary
• Plot Keywords
• Parents Guide

Did You Know?

• Crazy Credits
• Alternate Versions
• Connections
• Soundtracks

Photo & Video

• Photo Gallery
• Trailers and Videos

Related Items

• External Sites

Related lists from IMDb users

Recently Viewed

• Series Recaps
• Film Artist
• Screen Writing

Latest articles

‘demon slayer’ season 4 episode 3 recap & ending explained, ‘gacy: serial killer next door’ ending explained & movie recap: did gacy kill bobby, ‘the veil’ episode 6 ending explained & recap: is michael dead, ‘panchayat’ ending of season 3, explained: is pradhan ji dead, ‘insomnia’ episode 2 recap & ending explained: did emma kill her mother, ‘connection’ episode 2 recap & ending explained: who is ceo yoon, ‘scavengers reign’ ending explained & netflix recap: could the stranded astronauts escape from vesta.

Masonry of Angry Filmmakers

• Privacy Policy
• Write For Us

To get email updates from Film Fugitives

‘Rekha’ Film Review: A Half-Baked Attempt At Feminism

Of the numerous films that arrive and leave the visual perception of the audience, only a few attempt to make a critically conscious feminist impact. One among them is the Malayalam film Rekha (2023). It is the second directorial venture of Jithin Issac Thomas after Attention Please in 2021.

Set in the remote areas of Kasargod, the film presents the budding adult years of Rekha, a former sports person who is now preparing for competitive exams

Set in the remote areas of Kasargod, the film presents the budding adult years of Rekha, a former sports person who is now preparing for competitive exams. The film script has mindfully included the Kasargod nuances in the form of dialects, lexicons and also, the patriarchal mindset which oppressed the protagonist Rekha. The film follows the love affair between Rekha and Arjun, and the sudden turn of events in their lives.

Distorted Image of feminism in Rekha

The film Rekha , though meant as a feminist film, often breaks away from the said perspective to represent feminism with masculine power. The pitfalls it creates are so confusing that the viewers may find it hard to differentiate between the intended and the conveyed meanings. A specific instance of this misconception is in the dialogue delivered by Rekha to Arjun, ‘. . . I have had much more experience with knife than you had, though in the kitchen . . .’

This dialogue must have been written with a lot of thought but the scene it appears is so grave and demanding that such words give it only a petty appeal. Another instance of this distortion is the depiction of the sportsperson authority exerted by Rekha. In her mannerisms at times and through her tomboyish dressing style, Rekha asserts from the very beginning itself that she is not an ordinary person.

In her mannerisms at times and through her tomboyish dressing style, Rekha asserts from the very beginning itself that she is not an ordinary person.

When the circumstances surrounding her drastically changes, she levitates her latent energy and thereby, almost everything surrounding her changes widely. She becomes so engrossed in thoughts that her body command declines and she starts hurting herself just as a man would, caught up in similar circumstances.

Later in the film, she overcomes her emotions after her understanding of the realities and thereafter, her physical self takes control over her life, making her seek revenge to calm her soul. In all of these, the film has failed to portray the essence of the feminine energy or what feminism actually stands for to the vast majority of the audience who still find it hard to understand that feminism means equality. It shows the misconception surrounding feminism in the mind of the film creator to equate masculinity with feminism. 

The message of empowerment through Rekha

Even as a girl from a remote location, Rekha has always sharpened her mind and kept herself far removed from her native place. Her interest in sports and the consent of her parents to support her in pursuing her dreams are without doubt great example for the empowerment she receives. Similar is the case when Rekha says that she wants to study for government exams and not get married sooner. These keeps her rooted and her growth as a confident individual makes her worthy of trusting herself.

Rekha could also clearly understand her hamartia leading to the problems in her life. She vividly puts them into words in the climax scene. This level of self-awareness is usually very rarely attributed to female characters, especially for a woman of her surrounding. It is empowering and inspiring at the same time.  In short, the film calls for empowering women not just through education but also by supporting their dreams so that they stand on their own and determine the course of their life and not just live life following the dictations of the powerful.

The father-daughter bond in Rekha

Rekha is much closer to her sympathetic father than to her angry mother who never misses out on even a single opportunity to chide her. She dismisses any sort of disrespect from Rekha with her sharp taunting and warns her husband about how the behaviour of Rekha is different from her peers.

Rekha is much closer to her sympathetic father than to her angry mother who never misses out on even a single opportunity to chide her.

Her father supports her decisions with positivity whether it’s her choice to study in a sports school or her ambitions for a government job. He understands that marriage is not the most essential for Rekha at the age but her effort towards her dreams is.

Therefore, he supports her even when it invites enmity from his close relatives. His empathetic parenting grants her the right to demand for her choices and therefore, she gets the strength to believe in herself. On the other hand, Rekha understands and cares for her father. She could never bear any harm done to her father for her actions. And hence, she finds it hard to imagine a life without him and therefore, she is ready to go to any extent to protect him.

As a whole, the film has made sincere attempts to contribute to the feminist wave in Malayalam cinema, but owing to the lack of required knowledge about the placement of the theme under the title of feminism, the film has failed to capture the viewer’s attention. The use of native dialect combined with the regional lexicon of Kasargod make it difficult in comprehending the film at first but, it becomes effortlessly simple especially in the second half with the flow of events.

In spite of all these, the lead actors Vincy Alosiyus who played Rekha, bagged the best actor state award for her performance in the film and Unni Lalu, who played the role of Arjun as well as the rest of the team have done an excellent job in acting and realistically navigating the film forward. Had the film not attempted to sound and look so much like 22 Female Kottayam (2012), and had made the plot aligned to a new theme, it would have attracted more positive response. 

Related Posts

‘DeAr’ (2024) Review: A Tale Of Personal Growth And Forgiveness

By Vidhupriya

Manju Mai In ‘Laapataa Ladies’: A Beacon Of Anti-Caste Feminism

By Shainal Verma

‘Exhuma’: Into the New Age

By Rokeya Ghani

• ENGLISH HINDI MALAYALAM TAMIL TELUGU KANNADA BENGALI  

Rekha Malayalam Movie

Rekha is a 2023 Indian movie directed by Jithin Issac Thomas starring Vincy Aloshious and Unni Lalu. The feature film is produced by Kaarthekeyen Santhanam and Karthik Subbaraj and the music composed by Milan VS.

Rekha, a young woman falling in love, finds herself on a vengeful mission after one fateful night sends her spiraling into violence.

Director: Jithin Issac Thomas Producers: Kaarthekeyen Santhanam, Karthik Subbaraj Music Director: Milan VS Sound Designer: Aashish Illickal Cinematographer: Abraham Joseph Editor: Rohit Vs Variyath Art Designer: Manav Suresh

'Rekha' review: Vincy Aloshious soars in minimalist revenge drama

Jithin Issac Thomas’ second feature-length film Rekha sounds like one of the many twisted tales narrated by his main character from his debut feature, Attention Please. The setting is Kasaragod, and the makers were wise enough to keep English subtitles. Despite being someone from the Malabar region, I had to look at the translation below to comprehend some of the characters’ lines.

The first film that comes to mind when I think of Kasaragod is Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam, and for a while there, Rekha moves with a kind of pace and tone that makes one assume that it’s going to be another one like it. But this being a Jithin Issac Thomas film, anything can happen. I mean, this is the same guy who made the segment ‘Pra. Thoo. Mu’ from the anthology Freedom Fight. If you think you are getting a feel-good film, think again. Even if that were his intention, I believe he’ll make sure you get very uncomfortable first.

The star and USP of Rekha are Vincy Aloshious playing the titular tomboyish woman in love with Arjun, an unemployed young man from the neighbourhood, played by the gifted Unni Lalu, who essayed the rebellious protagonist from ‘Pra. Thoo. Mu’. The lion’s share of Rekha’s pre-interval portions sets up the romance between the two while giving us a sense of the neighbourhood—its sights, sounds, the homes of Rekha and Arjun, their neighbours, the mundane small talk comprising subjects irrelevant and insignificant to an outsider but a big deal for these people.

When you have characters exchange banter in their own dialect, peppered with their own quirks, you sit there soaking it all in. It’s just the little things—an argument about a hen laying eggs in the next home, an attempt to retrieve a metal vessel that has fallen into the well, a local member moonlighting as a broker... In the meantime, we get a bit of background about Rekha. She has been to a sports school and is prepping for PSC. Only one of these details would turn useful at a crucial juncture in her life.

There is an immersive quality to the visual and sound design, notwithstanding the minimalist approach. Director of photography Abraham Joseph, who made a mark in Kumari, fills the atmosphere with enough grit and menace. The closing nighttime stretch in a deserted Kochi street has an otherwordly quality while being careful not to make every frame look pretty.

One of the film’s most notable sequences has the main couple engaged in a phone text interaction before they video call each other. We have seen the onscreen chatbox display approach before, but if I recall correctly, the actors’ voices ‘reading out’ their respective messages while their lips don’t move is a first. Impatient viewers might find such a thing cumbersome, but there is a seemingly good reason for Jithin to extend these digital interactions.

Another scene has Arjun barging into Rekha’s home unannounced in the hope of making love. This moment is remarkably staged, with Vincy superbly portraying Rekha’s concerns about discovery and apprehension at making physical contact for the first time. For a while, you think it’s all so sweet until this clandestine rendezvous’ true and twisted implications become apparent much later.

Unlike Attention Please, Rekha manages to venture outside the main characters’ setting after a point—when it morphs into an intense revenge thriller after Rekha discovers an act of injustice. When Arjun goes on the run, she is devastated. Jithin, who has in his last two films shown a penchant for conveying a character’s troubled state of mind through masterful editing, portrays some of Rekha’s most turbulent episodes similarly, with intercuts, blurs, and surreal imagery.

When Rekha finally goes into avenger mode, the film brings the promise of severe retribution, be it the way she deals with Arjun or any other sicko she meets along the way. And, in any film featuring characters with deviant behaviour, unsettling situations go with the territory. But unlike this week’s other release, Christopher, these are not too disturbing as Rekha is a film where fate favours the woman more. However, if you are a pet lover, the offscreen murder of a dog might shake you.

Rekha is not an easy film to watch. However, the protagonist’s ‘sports background’ offers a comforting cushion in several situations of peril for the once-naive woman who got into a relationship because she was bothered by all her ‘taken’ friends. I found the third act chase stretched out more than necessary; perhaps Jithin wanted to present a stark contrast to the elongated lovey-dovey portions I mentioned earlier. The sustained tension works in most places, but at the same time, there was the nagging feeling that perhaps taking out 15 mins could’ve made the third act tighter and more engaging.

As the end credits rolled, I remembered that Valentine’s Day arrives in four days. Perhaps Rekha was intended as a cautionary tale for those desperate to get into a relationship to show others that they also “have a line.” Tread carefully, young ones.

Film: Rekha Director: Jithin Issac Thomas Cast: Vincy Aloshious, Unni Lalu Rating: 3.5/5

Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp  

Download the TNIE app to stay with us and follow the latest

Related Stories

• entertainment
• Throwback: When Rekha denied having a 'personal connection' with Amitabh Bachchan

Throwback: When Rekha denied having a 'personal connection' with Amitabh Bachchan

Top Picks For You

How did Aishwarya Rai Bachchan injure her hand just before her Cannes appearance. Deets inside

Pakistani actor Talat Hussain dies at 83

Veteran pakistani actor talat hussain died in karachi on sunday, may 26. the legendary actor worked with actors rekha and jeetendra in the 1989 film 'souten ki beti'..

Listen to Story

• Legendary Pakistani actor Talat Hussain died after prolonged illness
• Hussain worked in the 1989 film 'Souten Ki Beti', co-starring Jeetendra and Rekha

Legendary Pakistani actor Talat Hussain died on Sunday, May 26 in Karachi following a prolonged illness. He was 83. Arts Council of Pakistani Karachi President Ahmed Shah confirmed the news, stating that he had been undergoing treatment at a hospital in the city.

Talat Hussain worked with actors Jeetendra and Rekha in the 1989 film 'Souten Ki Beti'. Confirming his death, Shah said, "An acclaimed actor like Talat Hussain is born after centuries."

Hussain was born in Delhi and was a radio, TV, theatre and cinema veteran. He is best known for his roles in TV shows like 'Bandish', 'Karwaan', 'Hawain', and 'Parchaiyan'. Apart from these, Shah worked in the films 'Chiragh Jalta Raha', 'Gumnaam' and 'Actor in Law'.

Known for his baritone voice and impressive acting skills, Shah won the Pride of Performance Award, the highest national literary award in Pakistan, in 1982 and the Sitara-i-Imtiaz, the third-highest honour, in 2021.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid tribute to the veteran actor, stating, "His services to Pakistani television, theatre, film and radio will always be remembered. The vacuum left by his death can never be fulfilled (sic)."