Representation of Caste and Class in Modern Tamil Films

Radha Rajapandian, Bharathi Dhanapal and Sivakumar Iyyanar

American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 2021, vol. 80, issue 3, 915-929

Abstract: Films are fictional accounts that can easily serve as an opiate for an enormous number of people who rely on this medium to help them escape from the world. However, films also influence people's cultural and social values. For example, Indian films constantly depict caste, class, and gender disparities, but they do so in ways that reinforce social stigmas instead of challenging them. This essay examines three Tamil‐language films—Pariyerum Perumal, Asuran, and Karnan—that definitely challenge the status quo. These films reflect the importance of symbolic and cultural markers of discrimination according to caste and class. Through the use of many stereotypical characters, films dealing with social problems demonstrate the ways in which objectification, exclusion, and silence all play a role in perpetuating systems of domination. In this way, Indian films show destructive patterns and shed light on how to stop discriminatory practices.

Date: 2021
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