Kumbalangi Nights is a Malayalam language film directed by Madhu C Narayanan. The film features Soubin Shahir, Shane Nigam, Mathew Thomas, Anna Ben, Fahadh Faasil, and Sreenath Bhasi in key parts. The film focuses on the strained bond between four brothers Saji, Bonny, Bobby, and Franky, living together in a dysfunctional home, and how they eventually decide to stand up for each other as a family. Kumbalangi somehow transforms into a character, unveiling the spectrum of human experiences, from moments of beauty to struggles and imperfections.
This review is nothing about the marvels of architecture or innovative cityscapes. There is no room for grandeur, ornamentations, or highlights here; just efficiency, resource availability, and the socioeconomic realities of the people. By focusing on the humble dwellings and intimate aspects of village life, the film illustrates the intrinsic connection between architecture and humanity. Through its authentic portrayal of ordinary lives, the review looks at how the movie demonstrates how architecture serves as a powerful storytelling tool, reflecting the hopes, dreams, and challenges of its protagonists. The review intends to focus on how the movie shows how architecture can be a powerful storytelling tool by reflecting the characters’ aspirations, hardships, and aims through its authentic portrayal of ordinary life.
The Setting
Set in the village of Kumbalangi, the movie cleverly uses architectural characteristics to highlight the socioeconomic and emotional dynamics of the people. Kumbalangi is India’s first eco-tourism village, which is beautifully leveraged in the film. The simple homes, traditional components, and tranquil backwater views serve as visual metaphors for the characters’ challenges, aspirations, and interwoven lives. The buildings in the movie embody the village’s background: traditional but developing, simple yet profound.
One of the most striking features of Kumbalangi Nights is the presence of water. The backwaters surrounding the village form an intrinsic element of its architectural landscape, affecting every aspect of life for its residents. The movie vividly depicts the interaction between land and water, with residences on the banks, bridges linking different portions of the area, little canals, and boats acting as the principal form of transportation. Along with adding a visual element to the movie, this symbiotic relationship between architecture and water also reinforces Kumbalangi’s identity as a place where people and nature can coexist.
The House
In addition to telling the tale of the four brothers, Kumbalangi Nights also describes the house that they lived in. Every part of this house was thoughtfully created by the movie’s art department. It symbolises their shared experiences, both blissful and painful. The story begins with the youngest sibling Franky, whose initial feelings of shame and detachment from his family and their house set the stage for a compelling entry point into the movie’s narrative.
The scene shifts to their house, with soothing music breathing life into the character of their house. The house is far from a grand architectural spectacle; rather, it stands as a testament to simplicity, a single-floored structure made of bricks, devoid of embellishments, colours, or even doors. Neglected and weathered by time, without proper maintenance or landscaping, its disarray mirrors the fractured relationships within. Yet amidst this dilapidated space, nature flourishes in all of its beauty. The charming waterfront, flanked by slanting coconut palms, exudes quiet tranquillity. The lone hammock sways softly in the air, providing a peaceful respite between all the chaos. Everything is unkempt and disorganised, and a cactus grows on the roof of the house, spiny and devoid of any attention. The scene somehow foreshadows the dysfunctional relations between the four brothers.
Kumbalangi leverages its natural beauty to attract tourists from various places. Baby, one of the central characters, embodies a life of relative affluence compared to the four protagonists. Her domain includes a charming homestay located just outside her residence, a quaint cottage adorned with a sloping thatched roof and bamboo adornments. In contrast to the sibling’s simple and dilapidated house, Baby’s house shows a touch of modernity and refinement. Everything about it, from its well-built structure to its planned layout and large, beautifully maintained front garden, conveys the stability that surrounds her life on both a financial and emotional level.
Architectural Narrative
The film’s visual narrative is cleverly punctuated by iconic landmarks and culture of Kumbalangi. The well-known Chinese fishing nets, referred to as ‘Cheena Vala’ in the region, stand out among these as representations of the village’s marine heritage and means of livelihood. The devices, with their complex pulley systems and worn wooden frames, create a silhouette against the golden hour, bringing back emotions and a sense of belonging to the sea that describes Kumbalangi.
The movie leads us on an engrossing journey through famous landmarks like Puthuvype Beach, the Kumbalangi Mangroves, Kallanchery Retreat, St. Peter’s Church in Kumbalangi, and the Hill Palace Museum. The houses and structures seen throughout the story, other than the residences of the main characters, have a conventional appeal that combines traditional design elements with a hint of urban influence. With their sloped tile roof modest houses and front yards, they reveal simplicity and authenticity.
As the story concludes, each character undergoes a positive transformation, mirrored by subtle yet significant changes within their house. Although the structure of the house remains largely unchanged, the use of spaces evolves with a newfound sense of organisation, and the colours become more vibrant. With a feminine touch. The dynamics shift while also addressing small but essential needs like having a proper toilet and a tidier environment. The earlier rashly used common spaces now give warmth as the bonds strengthen between the characters. Notably, the spiny cactus on the house, once overlooked and barren, now blooms to give vibrant flowers showing the blossoming of relationships and personal growth. The narrative brings out a symbiotic relationship between architecture and humans. Just like architecture shapes human experiences, human interactions and emotions in turn shape the spaces they inhabit. The house evolves reflecting the character’s journey towards unity, harmony and belonging. Not through robust changes, but rather subtle yet meaningful ones; not too large enough to garner notice yet big enough to be felt. Their house has, in the end, beautifully transformed into their home.
Bibliography:
Studios, B. (2022) Kumbalangi Nights full movie | Fahadh Faasil | Soubin Shahir | Shane Nigam | Anna Ben, YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNyKd0PUx04 (Accessed: 28 March 2024).
Here is how the ‘Kumbalangi Nights’ main set was designed: Malayalam Movie News – Times of India (2019) The Times of India. Available at: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/here-is-how-the-kumbalangi-nights-main-set-was-designed/articleshow/68093075.cms (Accessed: 29 March 2024).
Kumbalangi Nights (2024) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumbalangi_Nights (Accessed: 29 March 2024).
Kumbalangi (2024) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumbalangi (Accessed: 28 March 2024).
