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Representation of Caste and Class in Modern Tamil Films
Author(s) -
Rajapandian Radha,
Dhanapal Bharathi,
Iyyanar Sivakumar
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
american journal of economics and sociology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.199
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1536-7150
pISSN - 0002-9246
DOI - 10.1111/ajes.12411
Subject(s) - caste , tamil , objectification , silence , sociology , class (philosophy) , social class , gender studies , aesthetics , epistemology , political science , art , law , literature , philosophy
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.