From Marginal to Mainstream: How Films are Elevating Marginal Voices

Three mainstream films have been released recently Thangalan, Vajai (Tamil), and The Vedas (Hindi) Historically significant. Far from the conventional trend of populist flicks, which often celebrate the cultural and political dominance of social elites, these films revolve around the concerns and dreams of socially marginalized groups. By introducing strong Dalit heroes, these films ushered in a nascent but impressive journey of Dalit cinema, registering a demand for greater democratization in the Indian film industry.

A visible dominance of a peculiar brand of film – often called ‘masala entertainment’ – and filmmakers, mainly wealthy social elites, have made Indian cinema a field lacking in democratic credentials. While entertainment-oriented popular cinema is essential to sustaining the film industry, its primary focus on profit and entertainment has marginalized the ethical concerns around which any art form would be conceived. For example, fame, profits and privileges are appropriated by particular social elite junta, making marginalized social groups passive spectators to the magic of cinema. Ironically, the low presence of artists and filmmakers from weaker social groups like Dalits, tribals and other backward castes is not seen as an unhealthy convention in the film fraternity.

In recent years, the Dalit cinema genre has tried to bring some reforms to the conventional routine of popular Indian cinema. The impetus for this change has been largely driven by the regional film industry, particularly Marathi and Tamil cinema, which has provided exceptionally brilliant works that cater to the interests and concerns of marginalized social groups and provide quality entertainment to the general audience. Nagaraj Manjul Fandry (2013), Sairat (2016), and Null (2018) set impressive examples of socially sensitive and commercially successful films. Later like Marathi movies bounce (2015), jubilee (2021), musk (2019), Jollywood (2022), Self Pamphlet (2023), etc. maintain momentum by creating an important dialogue on the responsibility of cinema in offering socially responsible films. However, it is Tamil filmmakers who have made a strong push to establish the genre as a significant commercial model.

More possibilities

Pa Ranjith’s previous successful films- Madras, blackAnd Kabali — carried forward the concept of a new Dalit hero. Big film stars like Rajinikanth have been roped in to tell stories about the crises of Dalit life, their resilience and heroic qualities. This success led to more creatively brilliant filmmakers, notably Mari Selvaraj (Karnan, 2021 and Pariyarum Perumal, 2018) and Vetrimaron (Asuran, 2019 and Viduthalai, 2023), marks the arrival of the ‘Dalit genre’ in Indian cinema. By offering nuanced Dalit characters with mainstream heroic credentials (eg Rajinikanth’s character KabaliDhanush in Karnanand Udayanidhi Inn Mamannan), it breaks the conventional ‘victim’ stereotypes attached to the representation of Dalit characters on screen.

The Dalit movement thus created a powerful rift in Tamil and Marathi cinema, influencing the Hindi film industry to take cognizance of it. In response, Bollywood too has supplemented this churn by offering strong Dalit characters in earlier films Masan (2015), Manji – Mountain people (2015), and recently the herd (2022)Shamshera (2022), difference (2023), And now The Vedas (2024). Interestingly, while this emerging Dalit genre sensitively showcases the demands and aspirations of marginalized communities, these films also ensure quality entertainment with an influx of dance, music, drama and action sequences.

This genre thus offers a possibility that Dalit characters can also emerge as ‘mainstream heroes’, their stories can be inspirational stories and Dalit-Bahujan strata artists can achieve mainstream fame. Recent successes and critical acclaim Thangalan And Vajai Propose that this genre is here to stay.

In the intellectual discourse on Indian cinema, popular Hindi cinema has not received honorable mention. It is often seen as a profit-seeking industry that creates hyper-sensational fiction to enchant audiences, distracting them from engaging with important social and political concerns.

By the mid-1970s, a few deviations from critical and socially sensitive narratives were identified as alternative genre or art-house cinema, limiting its celebration within mainstream cinema culture. There is an apprehension that the recent arrival of a nascent but impressive Dalit cinema could be put down with similar tags for maintaining the dominance of conventional ideas and identities in the filmmaking enterprise.

Connect, promote

It is high time for the film community to recognize the outstanding cinematic works of artists and producers from socially marginalized communities and promote them as inspiration for the new generation.

New cultural festivals, public institutions and state policy frameworks are needed that will promote the culture and talent of different social groups who are often marginalized in the mainstream discourse of cinema, art and festivals. It is imperative to create new platforms and old institutions of popular culture to connect and promote producers, artists and technologists from Dalit, tribal and other backward caste communities.

It is also important for more Dalits to join the film industry with their stories and talent as producers, technicians and directors. It is high time that the nascent Dalit genre is recognized as part of the reformist cinema track, guided by an inclusive approach, showing that the film industry has an important responsibility towards promoting the values ​​of social diversity and social justice.

Harish S. Wankhede is Assistant Professor, Center for Political Studies, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi