The moulded identities of dalits and adivasis as disparaged representations in Bollywood Cinema in India

Anish Gupta; Natasha Negi

Volume : VIII, Issue : V, May - 2019

The moulded identities of dalits and adivasis as disparaged representations in Bollywood Cinema in India

Anish Gupta, Natasha Negi

Abstract :

Films are the most powerful means to convey a message and form an opinion in a short interval of time. This unique form of art has developed a narrative accessible to all sections of the society, especially when television has become affordable even to the poor. Though Indian cinema has completed almost 100 years, one can still notice the biased perception of an Indian filmmaker when allotting attributes to the characters. He never hesitates from associating each character with a certain caste than evoking the individualistic traits. Bravery and beauty are some of the attributes associated with Kshatriyas and aristocracy respectively, never related to tribal and Dalits. Even when depicting the love stories, trying to eak all socio–economic barriers, these filmmakers’ obsession to age old perceptions of distinctions on caste and class do not completely disappear. However, the author sects have time and again tried to expose the hypocrisy of Bollywood on such serious issues related to caste and class.