Exclusive! Holy Wound seeks to put women’s struggles in a patriarchal society front and centre: Director Asok R Nath

Love stories are always a favourite genre for filmmakers to experiment with and Asok R Nath seems to want to push the envelope when it comes to the same with his upcoming film, Holy Wound. The film is set to become a trailblazer with its story, one depicting a love affair between two women. LGBTQ+ relationships are a controversy ridden landmine for Indian filmmakers, but the director sets the record straight in a recent conversation with OTTplay. The director spoke about his inspiration for filming such an unprecedented tale in Malayalam, among other things.

"The film seeks to drive home the message of how gender does not play a crucial role when it comes to love," the filmmaker shared. On choosing to depict a lesbian relationship in his film, Asok talked about how the subject was one which fit in a lot of discussions these days. He wanted to make a film on something which got people talking, which is how Holy Wound happened.

When asked the reason for choosing a silent film, he said that he had wanted to go beyond dialogues and conversations to visually get the message of the film across. The filmmaker also mentioned how in a way the silent nature of the film gave it experimental hues. Asok recalled how the last time a film was made so was decades ago. He cites the example of the 1987 classic Pushpaka Vimana.

The filmmaker also revealed that he wanted to communicate the subtle aspects of the relationship between the women, one that transcends words and conversations to focus on their emotions. His goal was to depict the raw relationship between people and their nature, as well as their bonds with each other.

When questioned on what controversies he expected, given the nature of the film, Asok said that at its crux, it was just a simple story about two people in love. "Controversy does not fit in the least," he replied, adding, "It would become evident once people watched the same."

Through his latest venture, the filmmaker says that he seeks to shine a light on the tolls the oppressive practises and male dominance have on the mental state of women. He elaborates how the standards and expectations placed upon women in a patriarchal society suffocates them.

On an endnote, Asok hinted about the movie’s release, which is expected to happen around February, on an OTT platform which he has not revealed yet.