In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, many people became confined to their homes, adapted to work-from-home culture, curbed their travel urges and even got accustomed to living in isolation, away from the warmth of real human connection. For some people who were otherwise absent from their homes due to busy work schedules, they finally had some time to spend with their loved ones. Generally, we have this portrayal of home as the safest place for a person. It’s so romanticised that even lovers say to each other, ‘You are my home’. The word home itself gives many of us a nostalgic or comforting feel, and for most people the best memories of childhood and family involve home.
However, a home may not necessarily be this ideal paradise for everyone around us, in fact it may be a living hell for many. Many homes we see from outside may not be a comforting retreat. Incidents of domestic violence, marital rape, poverty and mental issues might be choking the inhabitants inside a home. In such cases, a home might just be a building that nurtures toxicity.
Many reports have come out pointing to the fact that domestic violence, especially violence against women, has increased significantly in India in the wake of coronavirus and subsequent lockdowns. Even children are at the receiving end of toxic parents and have to spend more time inside their homes as their only escape option of schools has been closed for the past two years. Though the real gravity of domestic violence post coronavirus hasn’t been completely studied or documented as the pandemic is still rampant across the world and we are yet to get a complete picture, it would be safe to assume that violence inside families has increased. In this way, every home has a different or contrasting story to tell and every home is distinctively unique. It’s interesting to know the system and power structure inside each home, and it’s a human tendency to peek into others’ lives. Though a home is part of a society, a home doesn’t necessarily have to follow the rules of society, in fact every home has its own system and unwritten rules in place. Inhabitants of every home work inside a power dynamics and in most homes, the most dominant person will be the father figure or a patriarch.
Also, another interesting aspect of home is that it is a private place and the law and order system usually doesn’t interfere with what’s happening inside a home unless a threat to society is noted or a crime is reported. A home in that way is the only place that is truly yours; a space where you can be the real you. You’re not judged inside your home or your room at least. The societal rules don’t apply here. Conspiracies for crimes also mostly start from home because of this privacy aspect, and we have seen this in many cases of murder, or criminal activities. Mohanlal starrer Drishyam is an example of using this angle of home. In that way, every home is a different world and holds different stories. Malayalam cinema, since the advent of Covid-19 pandemic, has shifted attention to this space.
