Mayur S. Hadke Thangalaan is a Tamil language movie directed by Pa Ranjith, known for his socially conscious movies that shed light on the lived realities of oppressed communities. Thangalaan is a movie that projected the struggle for dignity and self respect. The question of land and self respect was the central focus of the …
Thangalaan: A Cinematic Exploration of Social Struggle and Empowerment
Ibin Nayakam On August 15, I watched the Tamil movie Thangalaan, directed by Pa Ranjith, and for the first time in a long while, I felt a sense of relief in my ideological struggle against societal injustices. Beyond its social commentary, the film offers extravagant visuals and employs magical realism to communicate its story. This …
Kaala: A Critique of the Communists, and a Call for them to join the Dalit movement
Sree Govind Bharatvaraj Pa. Ranjith’s Kaala makes an Ambedkarite critique of the communists yet calls for their participation in a collective battle against Hindutva. Keywords: caste; Hindutva; communist; Ranjith; Kaala Tamil filmmaker Ranjith (well known as Pa. Ranjith) is an Ambedkarite who is influenced by the 1990s Dalit political movements. In his movie Kaala, he …
Natchathiram Nagargiradhu: How love is a political choice
Hritika Mohite Natchathiram Nagargiradhu is a 2022 Tamil movie directed by Pa. Ranjith. The movie encompasses the themes of caste, gender and sexuality and blends into the larger theme of ‘Love’. It is set in Pondicherry, when a motley theatre group comes together to put forth their views on love while discussing the subject of …
De-Casteing Love: Pa Ranjith’s ‘Natchathiram Nagargiradhu’
Jitendra Suna Separation of love and Indian cinema is an impossible task. On one hand, our society abhors love; on the other hand, Indian cinema exploits the conditions of lovelessness that exist in our society. A critical study of 2013 on the judgement of various rape cases in seven district courts of Delhi by Rukmini …
Art of the Oppressed: Politics of Existence
B. Prabakaran Why does Sarpatta hold an important place in Tamil film history? It not only has convincing arguments for Dalits and women but also raises questions against dominant images and ideas. A Tamil film, Unnal Mudiyum Thambi (‘you can do it brother’), released 33 years ago was directed by a prominent dialogue writer-cum-director …
Sarpatta Parambarai: A punch in the face of Savarna Parampara
JS Vinay “Be thy own light- Atta Deepa Bhava” ~ Buddha “You must abolish your slavery yourselves. Do not depend for its abolition upon god or a superman. Remember that it is not enough that people are numerically in the majority. They must be always watchful, strong and self-respecting to attain and maintain success. We …
Synthetic Bodies Against Discrimination in Sarpatta and Toofan
Ajay Pateer Following the innumerable COVID-19 deaths across the country during the second wave, more Indians are getting health conscious than there used to be. There is a noticeable rise in fitness cultures. People can be seen walking, running and cycling on public roads in urban spaces since aerobic exercises help us strengthen our …
‘Life of an Outcast’- A challenge to the popular Hindi cinema
Neeraj Bunkar Cinema is the reflection of the society, which manifests the realities of the actual world. There are multiple methods of filmmaking. In the popular Hindi cinema, caste-based realities are often ignored. In the case where caste is being discussed, it is a high probability that Dalits will be shown as submissive …