What's in a surname, you ask? It carries your caste, silly. If you are able to surmount the religion hurdle, this one is often the next roadblock. For decades, the Indian cinemascape has been ruled by heroes with onscreen surnames such as Malhotras, Chopras, Sharmas, Singhs, or Vermas.
With filmmakers and writers coming from all walks of life, especially the Dalit community, our heroes have started having different surnames, maybe like a Newton Kumar from Newton and most recently, in the upcoming film Dhadak 2, it is Neelesh.
While the trailer of Dhadak 2, which was released last week, doesn't reveal Neelesh's surname, it makes it amply clear that he belongs to the Dalit community. In a scene, much like his name, Neelesh is steeped in blue paint, a colour associated with Dalit resistance. Then there's the blue scarf.
Neelesh, played by Siddhant Chaturvedi, lightly wears his identity as a Dalit. But during the course of the film, the character is forced to confront the realities associated with his Dalit identity and how he chooses to fight for his rights and justice as opposed to simply surrendering to the situation at hand. His lover Vidhi, an upper caste girl played by Triptii Dimri, also joins him in his battle for equality against all odds.
Before Dhadak 2 hits the big screen on August 1, here's a look at a few films that put Dalit stories and characters front and centre.
Newton
Amit V Masurkar's Hindi film Newton (2017) starred Rajkummar Rao in the title role of a government clerk Newton Kumar who is tasked with the responsibility of running a fair election in the conflict-hit state of Chhattisgarh.
Newton's identity as a Dalit man or someone who belongs to a lower caste is never spelled out clearly, but audience members can spot a portrait of Dr BR Ambedkar, Dalit icon and father of the Indian Constitution, in Newton's home as a nod to his background.
When Newton goes to meet a prospective bride, he refuses to even entertain the idea when he finds out that the girl is underaged. He is driven to conduct fair elections in Chhattisgarh come what may and is committed to carrying out his duties to a T.
Masaan
Neeraj Ghaywan's debut feature film Masaan (2015) is a gift that keeps giving. The film, a colloquial word in Varanasi for cremation ground, followed the lives of its principal characters, two of whom, Deepak and Shalu, belonged to different castes.
Deepak Kumar, played by the film's breakout star and now a leading man Vicky Kaushal, is the youngest of a Dom family working in the cremation ghats. He is a civil engineering student whose father doesn't want him to continue in the same line of work.
Deepak soon falls for a high-caste college student, Shalu Gupta, essayed by then newcomer Shweta Tripathi. Before caste could really become a barrier between Deepak and Shalu, fate intervenes and deals the young couple a cruel hand.
The heartwrenching social drama, which borrowed many instances from Neeraj Ghaywan's real life as a Dalit, later went on to win several top honours at festival circuits, including two awards at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival upon its world premiere 10 years ago - the FIPRESCI award, presented by the International Federation of Film Critics, and the Promising Future prize in the Un Certain Regard section.
Kaala
Through Kaala, fronted by Tamil superstar Rajinikanth, director Pa Ranjith redefined the symbolism of colours black and white in cinema. The hero of this 2018 Tamil film is Karikalan, the leader of a lower-caste Tamil basti in Mumbai's Dharavi. Karikalan, fondly called Kaala, is up in arms against a ruthless minister Haridev, played by Nana Patekar, who wants to seize the slum dwellers' land and throw them out.
Kaala is almost always dressed in black as opposed to Haridev, who often wears white, turning the idea of white means good and black means evil on its head. And when Kaala is not wearing black, he is seen in blue.
After Pa Ranjith presented his production Pariyerum Perumal at the 2018 edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), the filmmaker expressed his desire to also use his productions to discuss the caste divide that runs deep across the country. Dhadak 2 is the official Hindi adaptation of the Tamil film Pariyerum Perumal.
The director, also known for films such as Sarpatta Parambarai and Kabali, said he wanted both mainstream and parallel cinema to address casteism, but that producers were not ready.
"They are still not letting the audiences get used to different types of cinemas. Producers tend to not take risks thinking they will challenge the set pattern. I want to make it clear for other producers that such a story needs to be put out. Let Perumal be an example for others," he said.
"I believe that the audience has an open mind and as creative people we should not hold things back from them. I want to break all the rules... Cinema is a very political medium. I'm a politician," he added.
Sairat
Nagraj Manjule, another filmmaker from the Dalit community, has touched upon the issue of caste divide and its subsequent politics through his films such as Fandry, Sairat, and Jhund.
"Lots of people have suffered and are still suffering because of casteism. I have too. I thought I should tell such stories. I feel our stories reveal who we are. I will not talk about the moon and the stars because I do not relate to them," Nagraj Manjule said in an old interview.
His 2016 film Sairat continues to be the highest grossing Marathi film of all time with Rs 110 crore in box office earnings. What begins as a rosy college romance of two unequals from different castes gradually transforms into a horrifying tale with caste polarisation and honour killings at its core.
Sairat not only made Nagraj Manjule a name to reckon with in both Marathi and Hindi cinema industries, but also catapulted its lead actors Rinku Rajguru and Akash Thosar to fame. Two years later, Sairat was adapted for the Hindi audience as Dhadak, which in turn focused more on the class difference of the leading pair, played by debutants Janhvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter. Dhadak was also backed by Dharma Productions.
In 2018, Masaan was screened at the inaugural New York Dalit Film and Cultural Festival in 2019 along with Pariyerum Perumal (2018), Kaala (2018) and Fandry (2013).
Dhadak 2 Coming Months After The Phule Row
In April, Phule, a film based on the lives of social reformers Jyotirao Govindrao Phule and his wife Savitribai Phule who belonged to a lower caste themselves, was delayed due to objections raised by the Brahmin community over references about the caste system and specific caste-related terms. On the CBFC's request, the makers made the desired changes, and the film arrived in theatres on April 25, two days later than its scheduled release date.
Dhadak 2 also was stuck with the Censor Board but has been finally cleared for public viewing.
Out of the two leads in Dhadak 2, Neelesh (Siddhant Chaturvedi) is depicted as a Dalit man, with his love interest Vidhi (Triptii Dimri) as someone from an upper caste. The story revolves around college students Neelesh and Vidhi who fall in love. Things go awry when caste divide threatens their relationship.
With a renowned banner like Dharma Productions and acclaimed director Shazia Iqbal, known for her acclaimed short Bebaak, backing the film, Dhadak 2 is expected to bring the Dalit community front and centre, spotlight firm on it.
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