e n

‘Nirmal Pathak Ki Ghar Wapsi’: Yet another story of upper-caste charity

In films and TV serials, why are upper-caste characters needed to bring about consciousness in Dalits? When the Dalits have Ambedkar, why do they need to become Gandhi’s Harijan? asks Neeraj Bunkar

Over the Top (OTT) platforms have given Indians an opportunity to watch films and web series from all over the world and thus acquire a global perspective. However, the Indian upper-caste filmmakers are refusing to give up their narrow and obscurantist outlook. Anti-caste producers and actors have used the OTT platform to make films that stand out against their predecessors’ poor attempt to depict caste and related issues. They have changed the paradigm of films based on social issues. The Dalit of these films may be poor but he is not helpless. He has his own voice and he doesn’t need an upper-caste messiah. Some examples of such films are Karnan, Asuran, Kaala, Kabali and Bhim. The list is already long and will get longer in the days to come.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE: ‘Nirmal Pathak Ki Ghar Wapsi’: Yet another story of upper-caste charity | Forward Press

About The Author

Neeraj Bunkar

Dr Neeraj Bunkar is a UK-based researcher specializing in caste and cinema.

Related Articles

Sarhul: Reverence for nature informs this Adivasi farming festival
At a time when the world is obsessed with “Paris Accord” and “carbon footprint”, the philosophy underlying Sarhul offers a simple yet infallible solution...
‘Gail and Bharat’: An intimate portrait of solidarity with the public
There is an informal feel to Somnath Waghmare’s filmmaking that is worth noting. Waghmare himself appears in several of his films, camera in hand,...
Casteism among Muslims and the battle for rights
This book ‘Pasmanda Jan Andolan 1998’ becomes even more relevant in the context of the current sociopolitical scenario. The representation of the Pasmandas in...
Privilege with a bruise: What Manu Joseph gets wrong about dark skin and caste
An upper-caste man with dark skin like Laxman Sivaramakrishnan may experience symbolic downgrading in certain interactions. Yet the architecture beneath him remains intact. His...
Savarna sympathy, Dalit erasure: A critique of cinematic morality in Telugu film ‘Dacoit’
By the time viewers leave the theatre, the Dalit protagonist’s fate does not register as the consequence of caste transgression, of loving across rigid...