DhabariQuruvi review: An unapologetic, stirring tale of a young girl’s refusal to be victimised

Priyanandanan TR’s directorial puts a refreshing spin on a simple story, by giving its protagonist a sense of agency and accountability.

Dabariquruvi

Story:

Pappathi, a young indigenous girl with hopes and dreams bigger than those around her, finds herself in an alarming situation when she realises that she might be pregnant. Refusing to be a victim of her circumstances, the young girl goes to great lengths to make sure that her predicament does not affect her chances of having the future she wants.

Review:

In the form of DhabariQuruvi, writer-director Priyanandanan TR weaves a tale of a young defiant indigenous girl whose story stands out in that she refuses to be a victim. Mainstream cinema has seen a number of stories centred around protagonists of a marginalised community, wherein the premise is almost always one where they are exploited or reduced to characters with a fraction of the agency they really have. DhabariQuruvi beautifully subverts this through its story, where the young protagonist is given agency and advocates for herself sans fear.

The film follows the story of Pappathi or Paappa, a 15 year old indigenous girl who finds herself in an unpleasant situation when she realises that she might be pregnant. Having witnessed the ordeal of her friend Muruki, who had a child she did not want, and adamant not to turn out like Paappa’s mother Linki, an alcohol brewer, the young protagonist decides to think up ways to abort her child without anyone knowing, taking the help of her best friend Rami. Their quest leads the duo across numerous adventures, some of which even put their lives in danger, and tests the strength of their friendship.

In numerous ways, the film also takes the shape of a coming of age story, where Paappa’s predicament forces her to evaluate her life, as her ‘mistake’, as she herself calls it, makes her see everything around her in a new light. Although she retains much of her childlike sense of wonder and naivete, her experience colours her relationship with her loved ones. Determined to not let her ‘mistake’ shape how she wants the rest of her life to be like, she becomes much more assertive when anyone makes even the slightest effort to make her decisions for her, lashing out in one instance when a ‘well meaning’ neighbour talks about finding her a good match for marriage. Her dynamic with her friend Rami also changes with Paappa refusing to accept the former’s romantic relationship, which puts a rift between them.

One of the most striking things about DhabariQuruvi is the way it treats how Paappa approaches the incident that fuels the rest of the events of the story. Rather than treating herself as a victim, she boldly acknowledges what she did, and holds herself accountable. She is unapologetic in admitting what she did, while at the same time acknowledging that it was an error in judgement on her part. But at the same time she makes a powerful statement of how a single mistake should not hold the power to destroy her future. “I know I made a mistake”, she declares. “But why should my whole life be ruined over one mistake”.

The writing makes sure to avoid the pitfalls which would have stripped her of her agency, something ridiculously easy to do in such a story, and instead delivers a powerful, well fleshed out protagonist, as well as well written supporting characters as well, bolstered by terrific performances by the lead cast. Meenakshi R as Paappa delivers a brilliant performance as the complex, emboldened young protagonist, who refuses to let anything come in the way of her aspirations.

The supporting characters are given their due in the form of both their individual arcs as well as characterisations. Rami is more than just the supportive best friend who simply exists to be there for Paappa. Rather, the young woman is depicted as being her own person, with aspirations and priorities distinct from Paappa’s. Muruki and Linki, whose hard times serve as Paappa’s motivation to break the cycle, too are given much more to work with rather than being mute victims, for the most part.

Verdict:

DhabariQuruvi is an unapologetic, simple, yet powerful tale of a young girl refusing to let her mistakes define her, and offers a stirring and inspirational tale of determination.

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