"Try to catch Aamir Ali, then you'll see the real fireworks - The Mampuram Mosque Urs in all its glory."
This dialogue by veteran actor Indrans is how Prithviraj Sukumaran's character is introduced in his upcoming Malayalam film 'Khalifa'. The first trailer of the film was released on 16 October and five million views on Youtube within five days.
This celebration of the hero's Muslim identity is what makes Prithviraj unique. He is a rare top actor in India who not only frequently plays Muslim characters but also engages with the identity and lived experiences of Indian Muslims.
It is for this reason we are calling him India's only 'Muslim Action Hero', though he is not a Muslim in real life.
Prithviraj vs the Hindu Right
'Khalifa', in some ways, can be seen as Prithviraj's response to the Hindu right-wing's targeting of him over the past few years.
In 2020, Prithviraj and director Aashiq Abu had to face a hate campaign after the announcement of a film on Variyankunnath Kunjahammad Haji, the leader of the 1921 Mappila Rebellion.
While many in Kerala see Haji as a freedom fighter, in the Hindutva view, he was an Islamist who was allegedly responsible for massacring Hindus.
Perhaps they forgot that a film glorifying the Mappila Rebellion had already been made earlier, '1921', which released in 1988. And the film features the present BJP MP from Thrissur, Suresh Gopi, who portrays the idealistic son of a Hindu landlord who joins the Mappila rebels against the British.
By 2021, both Prithviraj and Aashiq Abu dropped out of the project. But he became a marked man for the Hindu Right. The next confrontation between the two happened around 'L2: Empuraan'.
'L2: Empuraan' and the Gujarat Pogrom
'L2: Empuraan', Prithviraj's third film as director, is the clearest articulation of his politics till now. Despite facing considerable censorship at the hands of CBFC - 17 cuts according to reports - Empuraan remains a hugely significant film. It is the only film showing the 2002 Gujarat pogrom released after Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014 that doesn't push the right-wing narrative.
In Empuraan, Prithviraj plays Zayed Masood, whose family was massacred in 2002 by politician Balraj Patel and his goons. The villain's name was Bajrangi in the original uncensored version. Then 2002 was changed to "a few years ago" after censorship but the dialogue "23 years ago" later in the film makes it clear which pogrom is being talked about.
Patel rises to become a major right-wing politician at the national level. When he tries to establish his foothold in Kerala, he is challenged and eventually defeated by the protagonist Stephen Nedumpally/Khureshi Abraam (played by Mohanlal) and his lieutenant Zayed (Prithviraj), who avenges the massacre of his family.
'Empuraan' is perhaps the only film that actually shows perpetrators of the 2002 pogrom being punished.
A small moment in Empuraan was equally significant. Surrounded by rioters, Zayed's family members chant "Hasbunallah wani'mal wakil" (Allah is sufficient for us and he is the best disposer of affairs). Only a director with empathy would highlight the faith and resilience of the victims even amidst the gore and violence.
Contrast with Bollywood Actors
To his credit, in 'Raees', Shah Rukh Khan did engage with what it meant to be a Muslim in Gujarat. Courtesy director Rahul Dholakia and writer Harit Mehta's sharp understanding of Gujarat, Raees showed a visibly Muslim protagonist doing all that a Muslim is not allowed to do in Gujarat - dance Garba, build a non-segregated housing society and chase away a Rath Yatra. Until he was killed in an encounter in the end.
'Raees' was part of an interesting but short-lived phase in Shah Rukh Khan's career in 2016-17 in which he played four Muslim characters in a row, two of them being cameos.
But in 'Pathan' (2023), Khan's character had to give a clarification through a dialogue that he got the moniker 'Pathan' because he was posted in Afghanistan and it doesn't mean he's a Muslim.
The clarification wasn't really required in the plot, so it does seem to have been aimed at not being cancelled by the pro-Hindutva audience.
From the point of view of political positioning, Shah Rukh Khan still deserves some credit for doing a film like 'Raees' or one like 'Jawaan' which had an anti-establishment message.
It is Salman Khan's silence - both through his films and public positions - that is the most disappointing, especially as he had always been marketed as the 'Bhaijaan' with the Eid releases and the Kuffiyeh.
Even Akshay Kumar has a better track record in this respect. Despite his pro-establishment image, Akshay Kumar managed to do two important roles that highlighted injustices against Muslims. In 'Jolly LLB 2', he played a lawyer who exposed the killing of a young Muslim man in a fake encounter by the Uttar Pradesh Police.
In 'Atrangi Re', he plays a Muslim man killed for marrying a Hindu woman.
The silence of top stars notwithstanding, beyond a point it isn't fair to compare the Malayalam cinema with Bollywood. In Bollywood, forget Muslim issues, there have been reports of even normal Muslim characters being removed due to self-censorship by filmmakers and financers.
Prithviraj's Muslim Characters
In Malayalam cinema, Muslim characters, even lead characters, are fairly common. Representation has never been a problem. However, depiction of Muslim issues does have its share of problems. Even many well-meaning Malayalam films sometimes end up pushing the premise that Hindu fundamentalism inevitably leads to Muslim radicalism. This has led to a preoccupation with the 'Good Muslim vs Bad Muslim' binary in films.
Prithviraj's own career is a case in point. 'Daivanamathil' (2005), one of his earlier films and his first as a Muslim character, was focused on religious fundamentalism. Prithviraj plays Anwar, a student at Aligarh Muslim University who becomes a militant after the Babri Masjid demolition and the anti-Muslim violence that followed. The film eventually shows Anwar moving away from that path due to years of incarceration.
In 'Daivanamathil', Anwar's grandfather and wife are shown as voices of moderation.
In 'Kuruthi' (2021), Prithviraj plays a Muslim fundamentalist, Laiq, who is out to kill a Hindu fundamentalist when a group of people are stranded inside a house. Roshan Mathew's character Ibrahim, is shown as the 'Good Muslim' who eventually saves the Hindu fundamentalist from Laiq. Even Empuraan has elements of this narrative as it shows Khureshi rescuing Zayed from being recruited by terrorists who are exploiting his victimhood.
These tropes nothwithstanding, it is also true that two of Prithviraj's best performances have been as Muslim characters. He is at his best at expressing the strength, struggles and humanity of these characters.
He plays the titular role in Ennu Ninte Moideen based on the tragic real-life story of BP Moideen and Kanchanamala and their struggles to gain acceptance for their interfaith love. Considered a cinematic masterpiece, much of the film is centered around the letters they wrote to each other.
In Aadujeevitham (The Goat Life), Prithviraj portrays Najeeb Muhammad, a Malayali migrant worker who becomes trapped in the deserts of Saudi Arabia, forced to live as a goatherd under inhumane conditions.
Prithviraj has been gifted with a spine and a great deal of empathy.
One hopes that it stays this way and that he avoids experiments like Sarzameen.
In times when Islamophobic films are given National Awards and state patronage, Prithviraj is exactly the hero we need.
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