In the film directed by Sidhartha Siva and starring Parvathy Thiruvothu, the recent storm of dissent and protests in the country’s campuses becomes the focal point Considering the times that we live in, choosing a highly political content and taking a stand with the dissenters, rather than the easier, convenient stand with the establishment, is not something that happens often nowadays. ‘Varthamanam’, the title, has many layers to it owing to its multiple meanings in Malayalam. It can mean the present or a speech/ conversation, both of which fit well for the themes the film tackles.