“‘Her laughter ringing across the shore’ introduces Karuthamma to the audience, even before we see her”, says critic Anna Vetticad, citing Chemmeen as one of the films that sparked the critic in her. In her insightful piece on the film, she systematically debunks the claim that Chemmeen libels the fisherfolk of Kerala. She also mentions how the makers of the film have been wrongfully accused of perpetuating superstition through the narrative. Chemmeen tells the love story of Karuthamma (Sheela), a Hindu fisherwoman and Pareekutty (Madhu), a Muslim fish trader. The film revolves around the myth that a fisherman’s safety in the sea depends on his wife’s chastity. The welfare of the community depends on the womenfolk’s “purity”. The audience and Karuthamma are reminded of this several times by the characters and even the songs in the film. Karuthamma obliges to marry another man, fearing ostracism. But, a prying society does not give her any peace even in her husband’s place. Finally, Karuthamma fed up with her husband’s doubts about her chastity, commits suicide with Pareekutty. The ending where Karuthamma, Pareekutty and her husband (who gets caught in a current) lie dead on the shore has been interpreted as reaffirming the aforementioned superstition. This article tries to show how the climax actually debunks the superstition and bares the tricks society employs to ensure conformity to its ideals.