BLACK and BLUE, the Colours of Resistance, Reading Kaala: An Alternative Voice

Abstract

Colours are integral considerations of any movement, protest, or resistance. For instance, the colour red has always been associated with left-wing political and social movements. Pa. Ranjith, whose strong Ambedkarite ideology was nurtured by Tamil Nādu’s anti-caste movement, directed Kaala. He creates narratives that challenge the stereotypical way of portraying Dalits in films. The film presents a new perspective on slum dwellers, challenging the conventional denigrating view of depicting Dalit lives in slums.

By examining the film Kaala, I will investigate the significance of the colours black and blue in combating prejudice, dominant myth, and oppressive structure. These two colours are also pertinent in [re]constructing the new Ambedkarite-humanitarian perspective in society, as translated by Pa. Ranjith in his film Kaala, which means black in Hindi. He, along with the other like-minded ideologue filmmakers, produced an alternative gaze and phenomenon aimed at challenging the stereotypical gaze associated with Indian cinema, which depicts Dalits in a degrading and subjugated manner.

In the film, black and blue colours emerge as an articulative voice in resisting the dominant ideologies associated with white and saffron colour, bringing the voice of marginalisation to the fore while challenging the conservative notion that considers white colour as ‘superior’ and ‘pure’ while painting black colour as ‘inferior’ and ‘impure’. Kaala offers a fresh cinematic expression; it depicts the assertion of Dalits with strong will power to fight against the odds and provides us with a new perspective on cinema as a medium to express Dalits’ struggle and strategy.

Bio

Neeraj Bunkar (he/his) is a PhD student at the Department of English, Linguistics, and Philosophy at Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom, with a specific interest in Caste, Dalit, Rajasthani folklore, Oral History and Cinema. Thesis title- ‘Caste and Rajasthan-based Cinema: Depicting Dalit Realities in the Cinematic World’. Prior to joining PhD, he obtained BA(H) in Political Science from Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi, and an MA in Social Work with specialization in Dalit, and Tribal Studies and Action from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.