In the grainy, nostalgia-laden opening sequence of Fazil Razak’s sophomore film Moham (Desire), a young girl looks longingly at a motorcycle. Minutes later, when the scene cuts to a present day image of a grown up woman gazing similarly at a scooter parked in front of a house and later slowly walking away with it, one wonders where the filmmaker is intending to take us. The feeling remains the same, in a good way, as the film’s themes slowly unravel.
Only well into the meaty centre of Moham, being screened in the Malayalam Cinema Today category at the 30th International Film Festival of Kerala, does it reveal its true colours and intentions. Portraying the oppressive and corrosive nature of toxic relationships and the toll that the violence takes on women who are at the receiving end of it, as well as the men, appears to be one of the filmmaker’s concerns.
He has clearly drawn inspiration from the frequent reports of spurned lovers taking the path of violence. Razak’s viewpoint towards the issue is uncommon and even unfashionable in an era in which films like Arjun Reddy and Animal are celebrated. At the centre of the story is Amala, a woman facing mental health issues and Shanu, a violent troublemaker, who is itching for revenge against the woman who broke up with him due to his overbearing nature. Catalysing the unlikely coming together of the two characters from disparate backgrounds is a stolen motorcycle.
As Amala walks around on the streets in lazy abandon when her mother is away on work, one wonders whether she would be safe enough considering her mental state. The meeting with Shanu compounds these fears, as he begins to use her to execute his nefarious schemes. But Razak mines some effective humour out of these seemingly dark and sombre situations, pulling off a careful balancing act which keeps the film ticking and engaging all through its close to two-hour runtime.
Later, the unlikely duo’s encounters appear to be mere distractions, as Razak’s aims are broader. The placement and timing of a flashback sequence, which throws more light on Amala’s past, is perhaps one of the reasons for the way the film works as it does. It comes out of nowhere, suddenly making us feel the enormity of her and her mother’s struggles. As an aside, the sequence also tells us why Amala eats only chapatis.
Razak’s debut film Thadavu, which premiered at the 2023 edition of the IFFK, and which went on to win Best Debut Director awards at the IFFK as well as the Kerala State Film Awards, was noted for its complex character sketches and life situations not very commonly seen even in Malayalam independent cinema. Beena R. Chandran, who won the State Film Award last year for the Best Actor (Female) for Thadavu, appears to have walked into Moham from Thadavu, for both are struggling women, at whom life throws one punishing challenge after another. Yet, both these characters seem to have an unending reserve of strength and positivity.
Fazil Razak’s Moham is an antidote to films celebrating toxicity.
Published – December 15, 2025 08:22 pm IST
