Kaala , a counter-narrative to Hindutva from an Ambedkarite perspective
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12713636 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sree Govind Bharatvaraj (0000-0003-4178-6954, Department of Media and Communication, Central University of Tamilnadu, Thiruvarur, India, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 22 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 85-101 |
| Publication date | 2024-01-02 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | South Asian Popular Culture (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1474-6689 • E-ISSN: 1474-6697 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/14746689.2024.2330184 |
| OpenAlex | W4394720478 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 9 |
The right-wing extremists, BJP and RSS, have a long-term mission to construct a Hindu nation bound by Ramrajya, a political model derived from the epic Ramayana. In its nationalistic project, the Hindutva desires to incorporate Dalits. For achieving the same, it usurps Dalits by appropriating Ambedkar – through strategically eroding his radicalism. Additionally, it uses Ramayana as a cultural tool to de-ideologize Dalits. It promotes Ramayana as an egalitarian epic to Dalits – for subsuming them within the Ramrajya politics. Dalits are losing political consciousness and they are disoriented by the Hindutva. In this article, I explore how a Tamil film named Kaala, directed by Pa. Ranjith, has countered these efforts of the Hindutva in the popular culture. In Kaala, Ranjith challenges the Hindutva's appropriation of Dalits by re-creating Ambedkar's radical legacy on the big screens. In the film, he re-narrates the epic from an Ambedkarite perspective to counter the Hindutva's efforts in de-ideologizing Dalits. Ranjith is a radical director who makes various transformations in Tamil cinema. His vision is to carry forward Ambedkarite politics in the popular culture. In this article, I explore how he effectively counters the Hindutva. To accomplish the objectives of the study, I use Ambedkarite framework as an analytical tool
Hindutva · Linguistics · Narrative · Nationalism · Perspective (graphical · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Anthropological Studies and Insights · Computer Science · Indian History and Philosophy · Law · Philosophy · South Asian Studies and Conflicts · Artificial Intelligence
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |