Jude Anthany Joseph explains why ‘Sara’s’ touches upon a sensitive topic with a dash of humour

‘Sara’s’ pans in on not just the topic of a woman’s autonomy over her body, but also offers a different point of view

Director Jude Anthany Joseph confesses that he doesn’t set out to make a particular kind of film — read women-oriented. At the heart of his films, be it Ohm Shanthi Oshaana (OSO), Oru Muthassi Gadha, and his latest, Sara’s, are strong female characters who are individualistic. “I don’t see a gender difference; it is the story that draws me to it. I understand that the industry [Malayalam] sometimes has a tenuous relationship with female-oriented subjects. I don’t deliberately look for such subjects,” Jude says. Sara’s, starring Anna Ben, about a woman who doesn’t want to have children, dropped on Amazon Prime Video on July 5. Sara’s, made for an OTT platform, has all the ingredients the audience has come to expect from a Jude Anthany film — a family entertainer, with a dash of comedy, romance, drama and a strong female character. Sara (Anna Ben) is not a pushover, she has dreams that extend beyond the conventional marriage which pivots on having children. She is an assistant director who dreams of directing her film rather than starting a family.