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Gautham Vasudev Menon makes his Malayalam debut with Dominic and the Ladies' Purse - a modern-day detective story inspired by the tales of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. Mammootty stars as the titular Dominic, a former cop turned private investigator who spends his days trailing unfaithful spouses and making a modest living from it. The film, produced under Mammootty's own banner, Mammootty Kampany, takes a turn when Dominic is approached by his landlady to investigate the owner of a purse she found at a hospital. What seems like a simple case quickly unravels into a complex mystery involving two disappearances - and, potentially, murders. The screenplay is written by Menon, Neeraj Rajan and Sooraj Rajan. ‘Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse’ Movie Review: Mammootty’s Charisma Dependably Carries Gautham Vasudevan Menon’s Quaint Yet Imperfect Mystery.
Gokul Suresh plays Vicky, Dominic’s newly hired assistant, while Viji Venkatesh portrays Mrs Madhuri, the kind-hearted landlady. Sushmita Bhat takes on the pivotal role of Nanditha, the sister of a missing person. The ensemble cast also includes Vineeth, Shine Tom Chacko, Vijay Babu, Balachandran Chullikkad, Lena, and Siddique.
So, who is the culprit, and how does Dominic solve the mystery? Before diving into the plot - and why the big twist in the climax feels both derivative and problematic - here's a spoiler warning: proceed at your own risk.
What's the Mystery About?
The purse Mrs Madhuri finds belongs to a girl named Pooja, who went missing on the same day the landlady came across it. Interestingly, the purse ended up in her possession because it was stolen by a thief from Pooja, who later abandoned it at a hospital. Coincidentally, Dominic and Vicky were also present at the place where the theft took place, but they were unaware of the incident.
Pooja had told her flatmates she was going to meet her ex-boyfriend, Karthik, who was introverted and secretive about his life. Following this lead, Dominic and Vicky travel to Karthik's residence in Munnar, where they meet his sister, Nanditha, a danseuse. However, Nanditha reveals that Karthik himself has been missing for the past two years.
Intrigued and possibly drawn to Nanditha, Dominic begins to investigate Karthik's disappearance hoping that would lead to Pooja. His suspicion falls on Karthik’s former employer, who eventually confesses that on the night of Karthik’s disappearance, an accident occurred. The employer had unintentionally caused Karthik and his bike to fall into a lake after Karthik caught him secretly hobnobbing with a rival client.
Convinced that the case has now turned into a murder investigation, Dominic persuades the police to search the lake. To everyone’s shock, a body is indeed recovered - but it turns out to be Pooja’s. So, what really happened to Karthik?
The Bizarre Truth About Karthik's Identity
It is revealed that while Nanditha was Karthik's sister, the real Nanditha had died at the age of 15 from a heart ailment. Since then, Karthik, unable to cope with her loss, began masquerading as Nanditha. This transformation began two years ago, coinciding with the time Karthik mysteriously "disappeared." Karthik's deep bond with his sister, coupled with his dissociative disorder, led him to identify as Nanditha. Adding to this, Karthik’s suppressed trans identity, stifled by his abusive father, exacerbated his mental condition.
Karthik’s involvement in a drama troupe, where he often played female characters, further facilitated this transition. Earlier in the film, when Dominic examines a photo album from the troupe, there are pictures of Karthik in his female roles, foreshadowing the eventual revelation.
Karthik’s transformation was further solidified when he fell into a lake—a moment he visualised as the "death" of his Karthik identity, allowing him to live fully as Nanditha. This explains why his neighbours in Munnar only saw "Nanditha" at Karthik’s house after his supposed death. Their lack of familiarity with Karthik due to his introverted nature made the deception easier. It also explains why there were no phone records between Karthik and "Nanditha" when she was supposedly in Kolkata. ‘Sookshmadarshini’ Ending Explained: Decoding the Twisty Finale and the Villain’s Diabolical Plan in Nazriya Nazim and Basil Joseph’s Mystery-Thriller.
As for the murder of Pooja, it was Karthik—as Nanditha—who committed the crime.
Why Did Karthik Kill Pooja?
Over the course of two years, Karthik completely transformed into Nanditha—a fact creepily highlighted by a cop's comment overheard by Dominic, where he remarks that Nanditha "gets more beautiful with each appearance." The only person aware of the truth was Nanditha’s domestic help.
Pooja, who was unaware of Karthik's disappearance or that he had been reported missing, stumbled upon a dance reel of "Nanditha" and realised she was actually Karthik. While it is not explained why Pooja sent the reel to her mother, she somehow managed to track down Karthik’s real address. She went to confront him, but Karthik, now fully identifying as Nanditha, became enraged when Pooja kept referring to him as Karthik. In a fit of anger, he killed her.
This wasn’t Karthik’s first murder. It is revealed that he had also killed his abusive father earlier. Additionally, he poisons and kills a goon who had been harassing Nanditha and was plotting to kill Dominic. With the help of his domestic help, Karthik disposed of Pooja's body in the same lake where he had once "buried" his Karthik identity.
How Does Dominic Uncover the Truth?
When Dominic is introduced, it is established that while his observations and deductions aren’t always accurate, his strong investigative instincts make him a capable detective - though not quite on Sherlock Holmes’ level.
When Nanditha visits Dominic’s office/home in Kochi, it isn’t to build a romantic connection but to assess how much he knows about her real identity. After surveying his findings, she likely concluded that he hadn’t made significant progress and was chasing false leads.
In the climax, Dominic deduces that Nanditha is responsible for Pooja’s murder since Pooja had visited Karthik’s Munnar house shortly before her body was discovered. However, he still doesn’t realise that Nanditha and Karthik are the same person.
The final revelation comes when Dominic receives a call from the troupe manager (convenient timing, to be fair) when he confronts Nandhita, who confirms that the real Nanditha had died years ago. This revelation makes Dominic realise that the Nanditha he has been pursuing is, in fact, Karthik. ‘Rekhachithram’ Ending Explained: Unravelling the Murder Mystery and Mammootty’s Impact in Asif Ali-Anaswara Rajan’s Investigative Thriller.
An enraged Karthik, now fully embodying Nanditha, attacks Dominic when he repeatedly refers to him by his real name. Interestingly, Dominic, while defending himself, refrains from fighting back with the same aggression he uses against other antagonists - possibly due to his confusion about how to handle the situation.
With the help of her domestic servant, Nanditha incapacitates Dominic. If not for Vicky's timely intervention, they might have killed him. Instead, they flee the scene, leaving Vicky to take Dominic to the hospital.
Why This Twist Feels Familiar, Especially for Mammootty Fans
It’s surprising that neither Mammootty nor his team seemed to notice that this twist feels very similar to ones seen in two of his earlier films—both directed by Shaji Kailas. The first instance is in the 1998 film, The Truth, where the “killer woman” being hunted by Mammootty’s character for her involvement in a Chief Minister's assassination is revealed to be a man in disguise. This twist wasn’t about LGBTQ identity but rather a ruse to mislead the police.
The second example comes from the 2010 film Drona, in which Mammootty plays a double role. In the climax, it’s revealed that Manoj K Jayan’s character suffers from dissociative personality disorder and transforms into Savitri, the vengeful “spirit” haunting the mana.
The “Nandhita is Kartik” twist in Dominic and The Ladies’ Purse seems to draw inspiration from these films. However, the idea of such a twist can be traced even further back to the 1983 Hollywood slasher Sleepaway Camp, where the central character, Angela, is revealed to be her previously assumed-dead brother, Peter in the end.
A similar twist appeared in Jim Carrey’s 1994 comedy Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, albeit in a comedic tone, where Sean Young’s character is revealed to be a missing male athlete disguised as a woman.
Why This Twist Is Problematic
There’s a history of films, both in India and the West, portraying trans characters as villains or murderers, which has often been criticised for perpetuating harmful stereotypes about an already marginalised community. In Malayalam cinema, Jeethu Joseph’s 2022 investigative thriller Kooman, starring Asif Ali, faced backlash for a similar twist. In the film, the female lead, played by Hannah Reji Koshy, is revealed to be a trans person and one of the villains, which sparked criticism for its insensitive representation.
Given that Malayalam cinema is often celebrated for its progressive storytelling - Mammootty himself recently earned praise for sensitively portraying a gay character in Kathal: The Core - a twist like this feels tone-deaf. It risks alienating audiences who have come to expect more nuanced and inclusive narratives from the industry. ‘Rifle Club’ Ending Explained: Decoding How Aashiq Abu Bent Chekhov’s Gun Principle Twice To Deliver a Thrilling Finale.
The Aftermath and Potential Franchise Hope
Dominic and The Ladies’ Purse doesn’t end with “Nandhita” escaping. Dominic creates a vlog about the case but embellishes details to make himself appear braver - for instance, falsely claiming that he sent Vicky after the culprits instead of rushing him to the hospital.
The case’s success brings a surge of clients to Dominic’s doorstep, but he later learns that “Nandhita” has been spotted in the Andaman Islands. Dominic travels there, discovering through newspaper clippings that she and her associate have been arrested.
While Dominic and The Ladies’ Purse isn’t without its flaws, we can’t help but hope GVM revisits this universe with Dominic, Vicky, and Mrs Madhuri for another investigation. With better writing and a more sensitive approach, the franchise has the potential to become a standout in Malayalam cinema - a new-age CBI franchise. Maybe Dominic can find out what happened to Mrs Madhuri's missing son next time.
(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.)
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 25, 2025 03:53 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
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