Kozhikode: Superhero films love thunderous entrances, flying kicks, and capes fluttering in the wind — almost always worn by men. Basil Joseph’s Minnal Murali dazzled us with its electrifying male leads — Tovino Thomas as Jaison and Guru Somasundaram as Shibu — two ordinary men transformed by a single stroke of lightning, one choosing heroism, the other tragedy. But while the storm raged around them, it was the quiet, stubborn fire of the women in this small Kerala town that truly kept the world from burning.

Take ‘Bruce Lee’ Biji (Femina George), whose story runs heartbreakingly parallel to Jaison’s. Both abandoned, both angry, both forced to watch their exes walk into new lives. But unlike Jaison, whose transformation is bathed in cinematic glory, Biji’s heroism burns off-screen. She is the town’s pulse, a martial arts teacher, a travel agent, a fighter whose signature kick isn’t just a move — it’s an act of rebellion in a place where women rarely get to kick back. When Shibu’s final act of vengeance threatens to destroy everything, it is Biji who rushes in, heart first, to save lives. No lightning. No superpowers. Just courage. And yet, she walks away unseen, uncelebrated. Like countless women whose strength saves families, communities, and sometimes, the world, silently.

Then there’s Jaison’s sister (Arya Salim). The film forgets to give her a name, but it does give her a painfully familiar truth: a life inside a toxic marriage, bruised by a man whose anger boils over at something as trivial as an extra appam eaten by her brother. And still, she dares. She lies to protect Jaison, hides gold for him to chase his dreams — an everyday rebellion so many women know too well. Her defiance isn’t loud; it isn’t heroic in the comic book sense. But it is deeply human, layered, and heartbreakingly brave.

And what about Bincy? Branded cold through Jaison’s eyes — did she betray him, or did she simply choose herself over a relationship that didn’t feel right? Perhaps her greatest act of courage was daring to put her needs first, in a world where women are taught to carry everyone else’s.

These stories of women aren’t just subplots to a hero’s journey. They are reminders that heroism isn’t born only from lightning strikes. It can be found in secret gold coins, in a well-timed kick, or in the decision to walk away from what no longer serves your heart.

In a state like Kerala — where 2.77 million people are diagnosed with mental health disorders but just 0.62 clinical psychologists are available per lakh — films often become more than entertainment. They are quiet teachers, the only mirrors some people might find. When the screen finally rolls its credits, what lingers isn’t always the man in the mask, but the woman who never wore one, fighting silent battles the world may never see.

In Minnal Murali, the lightning gave two men power. However, it was the fire inside these women that saved the town — and maybe taught us all what being a hero really means.