“In this context, I had to reflect on what my stories could say,” he added. “Either they were written out, or just their inclusion in the story was considered ‘revolutionary.'” “The representation of Dalit characters was painful,” Dalit filmmaker Ranjith, often referred to as the Spike Lee of the Tamil film industry, told The Wire in a 2020 interview, referring to earlier Tamil films. Sarpatta Parambarai, deeply influenced by Mohammad Ali, explores boxing culture among Dalits
Mari Selvaraj and Pa Ranjith, both in their late thirties, are two key directors who have created narratives where the Dalit man is the central character. The directors include veteran filmmaker Vetrimaaran, who made Visaaranai, a 2015 film about the plight of Tamil migrants in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, and Asuran, a plot inspired by a massacre of Dalits. And when the legal recourse does not end their suffering, they are willing to take the fight to a physical level. Also in this group is the Tamil indie, Pebbles (Koozhangal), India’s official entry for the 2022 Oscar for Best International Film.īut now there are many filmmakers in mainstream Tamil cinema whose protagonists are Dalits – who after a long period of discrimination fight for their rights. Sairat, an inter-caste romantic musical, was a huge box office success. The last two films were directed by Nagraj Manjule, a Dalit himself.įandry narrates the story of a young boy whose family catches pigs in the village, and his unrequited love for an upper caste girl. Now, Dalit narratives have also found space in independent or indie films in other Indian languages, including Anhey Gorhey Da Daan (Punjabi), exploring the lives of Dalit Sikhs Masaan (Hindi), a romance between a young man from a family of crematorium workers and an upper caste girl and Fandry and Sairat (both in Marathi). But they used the usual ingredients like songs, fights and melodrama.” In the last decade, some of the writers moved to cinema and made films. The ideas of Periyar and Ambedkar spread through the writings of many Dalit writers. “Forgotten Dalit ideologues of the 20th Century were redeemed from history. “In the last 30 years, beginning with the observance of Ambedkar’s centenary in 1991, the Dalit movement has been growing in Tamil Nadu,” said film historian S Theodore Baskaran. Jai Bhim is part of a new movement in Tamil cinema where a number of young filmmakers are narrating stories of repression against Dalits. Jai Bhim’s title translates to “Long Live Bhim”, a slogan made popular by the followers of BR Ambedkar, a Dalit scholar and leader, who was the chief architect of India’s constitution and also the country’s first law minister.ĭirected by TJ Gnanavel, and backed by Tamil star Suriya, the film tells the true story of a crusading lawyer – played by Suriya – who fought for a petition filed by a pregnant woman whose husband was placed in police custody and later declared missing. It’s a stark, disturbing scene, with frightened men standing in the corner, somewhat aware of their fate – a reminder that such activities occur routinely, and how precarious are the lives of the marginalised, especially Dalits, in small towns and rural India.ĭalits make up about 20% of India’s population, and despite laws to protect them they continue to face discrimination and violence. Later, police file false charges against those in the second group. Those who are from the dominant castes are asked to leave, while others who are Dalits (formerly untouchables) or belong to tribal communities are asked to stay back. At the beginning of Jai Bhim, police officers are shown separating a group of suspects based on their caste.