VISUALIZING CASTE IDENTITY: AN ANALYSIS OF 'PARIYERUM PERUMAL' TAMIL MOVIE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhkosh.v5.i1NCJCFPC.2024.765Keywords:
Cinema, Dalit, Pariyerum Perumal, Casteism, Violence, Mari SelvarajAbstract [English]
Cinema is the most significant form of art and the most profound communication tool. Pariyerum Perumal is a thought-provoking Tamil film directed by Mari Selvaraj. This film looks deeply into the persistent caste myths in Indian society, particularly on the suffering of the Dalit group (formerly known as "untouchables"), the story of Pariyan, a young Dalit student who wants to be a lawyer. Pariyan struggles with the harsh reality of prejudice and caste-based discrimination in a rural Indian setting while he pursues his education. In the story, Pariyan is isolated from his upper-caste colleagues in college and experiences violence and humiliation due to the sharp caste-based division pervasive in society. The film Pariyerum Perumal shows underprivileged groups' tenacity and struggle to claim their identity and dignity. Pariyan is adamant about overcoming trials and obstacles to achieve his goals and free himself from caste oppression. The movie fiercely refutes the idea of caste superiority and exposes the sneaky prejudices based on caste, even among those who appear progressive. This article focused on how Pariyerum Perumal portrays the caste-based problems afflicting modern India painfully and realistically. It sparks crucial dialogues on caste prejudice, violence, and the pressing need for societal transformation to destroy the antiquated caste myths that still exclude and oppress millions of people in the nation.
Downloads
References
Ambedkar, B. R. (1948). The Untouchables: Who Were they and Why they Became Untouchables?
Bastina, R. M. M. (2019). Framing Dalit Identity in Pariyerum Perumal Movie: Semiotic Analysis. International Journal of Research in Engineering, Science and Management, 2(10), 503-507.
Bazin, A. (2004). What is Cinema? vol. I (Vol. 20). Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520931251
Bordwell, D., Thompson, K., & Smith, J. (2008). Film Art: An Introduction (Vol. 8).
Chandler, D. (2022). Semiotics: the Basics. Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003155744
Damodaran, K. (2018). Pariyerum Perumal: A Film That Talks Civility in an Uncivil, Casteist Society. The Wire, 12, 2018.
Divakar, A. K. (2020). An Exploratory Research on the Relationship Between Caste System and Tamil Cinema. Studies in Indian Place Names, 40(66), 21-28.
Edachira, M. (2020). Anti-Caste Aesthetics and Dalit Interventions in Indian Cinema. Economic and Political Weekly, 55(38), 47-53.
Eisenstein, S., & Leyda, J. (1957). Film Form: Essays in Film Theory. The Film Sense.
Gamson, W. A., & Modigliani, A. (1989). Media Discourse and Public Opinion on Nuclear Power: A Constructionist Approach. American Journal of Sociology, 95(1), 1-37. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/229213
Gorringe, H. (2016). Drumming Out Oppression, or Drumming it in? Identity, Culture and Contention in Dalit Politics. Contributions to Indian Sociology, 50(1), 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1177/0069966715615021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0069966715615021
Hein, C. (2006). Laura Mulvey, Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema. Grin Verlag.
Herrero, D. (2021). Anti-Caste Aesthet (h) ics in Contemporary Dalit Cinema: The Case of Asuran (2019). RevistaCanaria de EstudiosIngleses, (83), 37-49. https://doi.org/10.25145/j.recaesin.2021.83.03.
Innis, R. E. (1985). Semiotics: An Introductory Anthology. Indiana University Press.
Krithika, K. S. (2023). Film as Philosophy: A Case Study of the Tamil Movie Pariyerumperumal.
Kumar, V. (2009). Locating Dalit Women in the Indian Caste System, Media and Women's Movement. Social Change, 39(1), 64-84. https://doi.org/10.1177/004908570903900104. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/004908570903900104
Leeds-Hurwitz, W. (1993). Semiotics and Communication: Signs, Codes, Cultures. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203821909. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203821909
Lijo, J. J. (2019). Identity Crisis, Resistance and Emancipation: A Comparative Study on "Fandry" and "Pariyerum Perumal". New Horizons of Dalit Culture and Literature, 10, 113-117.
Michael, S. M. (1999). Untouchable: Dalits in Modern India. Lynne Rienner Publishers. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/9781685851903
Rajapandian, R., Dhanapal, B., & Iyyanar, S. (2021). Representation of Caste and Class in Modern Tamil Films. American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 80(3), 915-929. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajes.12411. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ajes.12411
Ratnamala, V. (2012). Media on Violence Against Dalits. Voice of Dalit, 5(2), 183-192. https://doi.org/10.1177/0974354520120205. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0974354520120205
Rowena, J. (2013). Locating PK Rosy: Can a Dalit Woman Play a Nair Role in Malayalam Cinema Today?. Round Table India.
Susairaj, A. (2020). The Paradigm Shifts in the Portrayal of Caste in Tamil Cinema and its Impact on the Tamil Society. Journal of the Nanzan Academic Society Humanities and Natural Sciences, 20, 121138.
Susairaj, A. (2021). Mirroring the Humiliation of Dalits in the Indian Society: An Analytical Study on the Tamil Movie Pariyerum Perumal. Academia. Humanities and Natural Sciences, 21, 227-240.
Toth, E. L. (2009). The Case for Pluralistic Studies of Public Relations: Rhetorical, Critical, and Excellence Perspectives. In Rhetorical and Critical Approaches to Public Relations II, 60-72. Routledge.
Vidushi. (2015). Cinematic Narrative: The Construction of Dalit Identity in Bollywood. In Media, Margins and Popular Culture, 123-135. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137512819_9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137512819_9
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 A. Vanathu Suresh, Subramani R.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
With the licence CC-BY, authors retain the copyright, allowing anyone to download, reuse, re-print, modify, distribute, and/or copy their contribution. The work must be properly attributed to its author.
It is not necessary to ask for further permission from the author or journal board.
This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.
