There was no better time for Christo Tomy's 'Ullozhukku', which boasts power-packed performances from Urvashi and Parvathy Thiruvothu in the lead roles, to be released than now, with Malayalam Cinema reflecting on the failure or reluctance of its top filmmakers to craft strong female characters. Christo brings unadulterated femininity to the forefront, portraying his women—primarily Leelamma (Urvashi) and her daughter-in-law Anju (Parvathy)—as human beings with raw emotions. He successfully deviates from the archetypal binary style of depicting women either as paragons of virtue or embodiments of vice, giving the film a refreshing feel.
Having said that, Christo did falter in one aspect as a writer and director (a very personal opinion). Before dissecting Christo's women characters, let's address the one treatment that stood out awkwardly in the otherwise well-crafted story flow. For most of the movie, Christo, after providing his actors with a solid screenplay, allows them space to flourish without meddling with the organic development of the story; an approach reminiscent of Mani Ratnam's strategy while directing actors like Kamal Haasan or Mohanlal.
And it pays off! However, in the third act of the movie, an abruptly ended conversation between Anju, Leelamma, and Sister Aunty leads Anju to suspect that Leelamma had hidden Thomaskutty's (Prashanth Murali) medical condition from her and her parents to facilitate the marriage. Uncharacteristically, Christo resorts to spoo.
