Representation of caste on the big screen has seen an interesting departure from the established portrayals of the past. The offensive and unsavoury depictions of the defeated, helpless, dependent, unrefined, unimportant lower caste protagonist or supporting character bereft of agency has finally received criticism and is seeing gradual erasure. Pa. Ranjith’s Kabaali and Kaala, and Nagraj Manjule’s Sairat are some of the examples of popular movies that are at the forefront of this change. Two recent movies that furthered this trend are Neeraj Ghaywan’s Masaan(2015) and Amit V. Masurkar’s Newton(2017).
Masaan which is the convergence of two stories, is in part the story of a lower caste boy named Deepak(Vicky Kaushal) who in a romantic relationship with an upper caste girl. Newton is the story of Nutan Kumar(Rajkummar Rao), a government clerk who is deputed to the Naxal dominated areas of Chattisgarh to oversee elections.
Much has been discussed about Masaan’s exploration of an inter-caste relationship and Newton’s subtle caste delineation. With various media outlets dubbing Newton as the ‘new Dalit hero’ or ‘the liberated Dalit hero’ and so on, much has been discussed at length about the importance of this new onscreen hero and his contribution to the representation of caste on celluloid. Masaan’s probe into the lives of the Dom community and love across caste lines, received critical appreciation for its moving depiction. Therefore, talking about this aspect may serve as another echo of already well articulated and accepted opinions. Here, the intention is to draw ones attention to a relatively uncomplicated facet of their stories.
Their angst does not stem from their caste identity
Shweta Tripathi in a still from Masaan
It is the matters of the heart that dictates Deepak’s misery. In a time where romance and love have regressed to appropriate everything other than the emotions in their truest sense, Masaan, at its core is a moving story of heartbreak. It can be agreed that the movie delves into the finer sensibilities of the caste in a subtle yet visible manner. However, unlike the ‘destitute’ lower caste protagonists in the past whose worries are rooted in their ‘lowly’ status, Deepak’s agony is a result of his lover’s death. This, in spite of all its melancholy, gives us a protagonist whose story does not rely on his caste for his story to progress. Just a lover mourning the loss of his beloved.
Yes, Newton’s character conceals his caste identity fearing discrimination. However, unlike Masaan, the reference to his identity is hidden in clever symbolism and are fleeting. His caste identity plays an important factor in him molding himself as a disciplined and dutiful government employee to counter existing misconceptions about officials from scheduled castes. However, when the problems of the world that he is dragged into overwhelm him, his caste does not serve as the basis for his troubles. Similar to Masaan, Newton gives us a Dalit protagonist who is tormented not by his caste, but by his dedication to the job entrusted to him, and the hurdles he faces in the pursuit of its completion. A man trying to do his job at all costs.
Why is this change refreshing?
Even among the earlier referenced movies, many of them explore consequential cast- based themes such as caste assertion, the taboo of inter-caste marriage and caste violence. Kabali and Kaala, talk about Dalit assertion and their readiness to revolt aggressively to dismantle the structures subjugating them. Sairat deals with the taboo of caste hypogamy and its gruesome outcomes. In the midst of such concentrated treatment of the subject, Masaan and Newton embrace a more pastel approach towards the caste issue. Despite caste featuring in the backdrop, it at no point over shadows the true torments of their lives— love(Masaan) and duty(Newton). It makes the characters more relatable and softly forces the audience to invest their time and emotions in the lives of the characters.
Ergo, this style of representation provides one with an interesting tone in the emerging spectrum of caste oriented cinema where myriad shades of oppression and its lasting impressions are receiving the much needed illumination after centuries.
An ardent fan of Marlon Brando and Rajnikanth, Jeevan aspires to make a difference with his reportage some day.
Jeevan Biswas
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