Wednesday, June 04, 2014

Gaddama: The broken maid

This Malayalam film Gaddama is a story that perhaps takes place in scores of housemaids who go to Gulf countries in search of greener pastures. Hundreds of women, especially from Kerala, land in the Arab world to earn a living for themselves and their family. In many cases, though, these women end up losing their physical and moral strength being exploited and tortured by the employers in many cases.









Director: Kamal
Film Clip
Gaddama is one such story. The protagonist here is Aswathy who decides to go abroad after she loses her husband at a very young age. In an alien land things are not very smooth for her as she is subjected to untold miseries and trials. Feeling impossible to continue and realising that prolonging in the place would be fatal, she decides one day to flee only to face greater trials. Yet, as the film narrates, not all people are bad and not everything dark. She finds a helping hand in a few of her own country cousins who go out of their way to bring her out of her misery.
While the film may be a little melodramatic in its final product, the narrative could never be simpler in actuality. Umpteen cases get reported in the media of people being subjected to indescribable miseries in their work places within India and abroad. We can find a Gaddama in many of such unfortunate souls whose only fault is that they are born into poorer families. The film also raises important human rights issues of immigrants in foreign land. Every immigrant even as he/she battles home sickness in a foreign land, must also battle injustice and hostile work environment meted out by a condescending foreign employer. Kavya Madhavan as Aswathy the Gaddama is sensitive and does justice to the battered characterisation. 
- Melwyn Pinto SJ