She Didn’t Know the Language, But She Knew the Power: Biana Momin in Eko
History sometimes announces itself quietly. It does not arrive with grand speeches or loud celebrations, but with a face on screen that refuses to be forgotten. That is exactly how Biana Momin entered the national spotlight. From the hills of Meghalaya to Malayalam cinema without knowing a word of the language she has become the first Garo woman to act in a Malayalam film. At 70 years of age, when many believe the curtain has long fallen, Biana stepped into the light with Eko, a suspense thriller now trending on Netflix across India and beyond. Her journey is not just a personal triumph. It is a statement about women, representation, and the power of presence over perfection.Fear, First Steps, and Finding BelongingWhen Biana Momin first learned she had been cast in Eko, her immediate reaction was fear. Not stage fright, not camera anxiety but language. Malayalam was completely unfamiliar territory. She wondered how she would communicate on set, how she would understand instructions, how she would perform emotions in words she did not know. What followed, however, was an experience that reshaped her confidence. The cast and crew welcomed her with patience and warmth. She was never made to feel like an outsider. That sense of belonging became her anchor. Slowly, fear gave way to focus, and focus to performance. In an industry often accused of being unkind to newcomers, especially women, Eko became a space of trust.Learning a Language Through EmotionThe toughest challenge was lip-syncing in Malayalam. The director and crew insisted on accuracy, rhythm, and emotional honesty. Biana did not understand the words, but she listened closely. She sat on set, absorbing conversations, noticing pauses, tones, and musicality. Language, she discovered, is not only spoken. It is felt. Actor Anjali Sathyanath became her guide and mentor through this demanding process. Together, they translated dialogues into English, carefully mapping when to pause, when to soften, when to sharpen. Biana memorised not sounds alone, but intention. It was an extraordinary example of women supporting women quietly, generously, without ego.Mlaathi: A Woman of Silence and PowerIn Eko, Biana Momin plays Mlaathi, a Malaysian-origin woman living in isolation in the Western Ghats. On the surface, she appears restrained, almost invisible. But beneath that calm exterior lies a lifetime of betrayal, survival, and suppressed rage. Mlaathi’s story unfolds slowly. A woman wronged during wartime. A widow imprisoned not by walls, but by men and power. A wife whose past was rewritten without consent. As the narrative progresses, it becomes clear that Mlaathi is not a victim waiting to be saved; she is the silent architect of justice. Biana’s performance is chilling precisely because it is restrained. In the climax, she speaks volumes without raising her voice. Her eyes do the work of entire monologues. It is rare, especially for women on screen, to be allowed such complexity without explanation. Eko dares to trust silence, and Biana commands it.Women, Control, and Rewriting PowerAt its heart, Eko is not just a thriller; it is a story about who controls whom. Men believe they are the masters of land, of animals, and of women. The truth revealed is far more unsettling. Kuriachan, the feared criminal, was never truly in control. Mlaathi was. Through trained dogs, through patience, through intelligence sharpened by pain, Mlaathi reclaims her autonomy. She imprisons the man who once imprisoned her life. Not with chains, but with strategy. It is revenge, yes, but also liberation. In a genre dominated by male rage and male resolution, Eko offers a woman-centered reckoning. And Biana Momin carries this burden with astonishing grace.A Life Beyond CinemaBiana Momin’s journey did not begin with Eko. She has lived many lives serving with the Meghalaya Public Service Commission and the Meghalaya Board of Secondary Education for years. Her experience, discipline, and emotional maturity show on screen. This is not a debut that seeks attention. It commands it. Director Dinjith Ayyathan cast her on the recommendation of filmmaker Christo Tomy, who had noticed her presence in a short film. That single decision changed the course of representation in Malayalam cinema. Perhaps the most powerful aspect of Biana Momin’s story is her age. At 70, she defies an industry obsessed with youth. Her success sends a quiet but radical message: women do not expire. Stories do not have deadlines. Talent does not age; it deepens. From Meghalaya to national headlines, Biana has become a symbol of possibility. Not because she chased fame, but because she answered a calling when it arrived.Biana Momin’s success is not about a trending film alone. It is about inclusion that feels earned, not forced. It is about regional voices crossing borders. It is about women reclaiming narrative power on screen and off it. In Eko, Mlaathi watches the hills through binoculars, calm and in control. Off screen, Biana Momin has given Indian cinema something rare: proof that when women are trusted with depth, they deliver magic. She did not just act in a Malayalam film. She expanded who gets to belong in Indian cinema.
