As human beings remained largely confined to our homes and constrained by masks for a second year in a row due to the pandemic, cinema provided us with solace and talking points beyond COVID-19. The films on my list of 2021’s best from Indian cinema pushed boundaries in terms of their approach to storytelling, their themes and technique. I’ve confined this collection to those that were either released in theatres in the past 12 months or on OTT platforms or both, not just at festivals, to keep it accessible to the public. Here they are: (1) Best Film:
**_Maadathy – An Unfairy Tale_** Director: Leena Manimekalai Language: Tamil An overwhelmingly beautiful, heartbreaking film about the human willingness to pedestalise in mythology the very individuals and communities that they oppress in reality. Leena Manimekalai’s Maadathy merges folktale, myth and terrifying realism to strike at the root of the woman-is-goddess trope that society uses to soft pedal patriarchy. The cinematography is so bewitching that it is hard to believe this is a low-budget indie. Aided by a brilliant cast that includes the wonderful Semmalar Annam, Maadathy exposes the worst of modern-day slavery in the form of India’s caste system. The film is courageously unapologetic to upper castes, and goes a step further by portraying hierarchies of exploitation even among the marginalised, making it a landmark addition to the growing library of Tamil films confronting caste without cushioning the impact for denialists.
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**_Jai Bhim_** Director: TJ Gnanavel Language: Tamil Male-superstar-driven films about subjugated castes often use the subjugation as a mere tool to build their lead star’s larger-than-life image. Jai Bhim is different. Suriya plays Tamil Nadu’s real-life activist judge, Justice Chandru, and while he is no doubt the hero here, he is never allowed to overshadow the characters played by Lijomol Jose and K Manikandan, their suffering or the woman’s unflinching stand against an exploitative system. A determination not to enter upper-caste-male-saviour territory and an avoidance of hyper-masculinity within a discussion on caste are among this film’s stand-out qualities. In the midst of these hosannas, it is important to call out the makers for brownfacing a comparatively light-skinned actor, Lijomol, for her role. Jai Bhim is moving and disturbing. It is also an ideal illustration of how to acknowledge an ally from a dominant community without fashioning him as a messiah, and how to make a film about that ally without side-lining the pain, strength and courage of the people he stands by.
(6) _Meel Patthar (Milestone) _ Director: Ivan Ayr Language: Hindi-Punjabi with some Kashmiri For my full-length review of Meel Patthar, click here
Anna M.M. Vetticad is an award-winning journalist and author of The Adventures of an Intrepid Film Critic. She specialises in the intersection of cinema with feminist and other socio-political concerns. Twitter: @annavetticad, Instagram: @annammvetticad, Facebook: AnnaMMVetticadOfficial
I’ve confined this collection to those that were either released in theatres in the past 12 months or on OTT platforms or both, not just at festivals, to keep it accessible to the public.
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