KOCHI: It once provided the crucial negative angle in the narrative — a one night stand or a casual fling wreaking havoc upon the hero’s life. Mollywood once bestowed an abhorrent status on extramarital intimacies, portraying such relationships as a fatal threat to family values. But, the huge success of two recent Malayalam movies — ‘Cocktail’ and ‘Traffic’ — might signal a change in audience taste.

Without giving away too much away, the characters who have extramarital affairs in these films make no excuses for their action, rather they indulge in affairs for the fun of it — something in tune with last year’s noted ‘Paleri Manikyam’ which validated an extra-marital affair as part of accepted heroic values.

Anoop Menon who scripted and played the male lead in ‘Cocktail’ says he wouldn’t have dared to make such a film in the ’90s. “The plot would have seemed unconvincing. If ‘Cocktail’ has struck a chord with viewers today, it is because they can relate to it. Extra-marital affairs have always been there in our society but now have become common enough that you may find examples even in your friend circles,” he says. ‘Cocktail’, which is based on a Hollywood movie, definitely got the cash registers ringing.

"A chauvinistic society would say men are polygamous, but today’s independent woman says she too is capable of all this since the human race in general is polygamous. But just as in the western world, we too will come back to the one man-one woman equation, may be in 10 year’s time,” he adds.

According to Rajesh Pillai, director of ‘Traffic’, frailty has become an indispensable part of the fast life of people in metros. “The track in ‘Traffic’ is inspired by a real-life incident. The high-pressure corporate job that limits the quality time with the family is one reason.” he says.

The couple in ‘Traffic’ appears just out of a made-for-each-other picture postcard. Yet the wife cheats on her doting husband who showers her with affection and expensive gifts. “Then there is the issue of emotional insecurity. May be their seemingly perfect marital life has some voids deep within,” Rajesh muses.

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