Analysis of middle class families in K.Balachander’s Cinemas under Reading the History in Cinemas
This article presents about how the cinemas can be considered as historical sources with examples from Tamil Cinema. This study is not about history of Tamil Cinema. It’s about studying the history embedded into the content and narration presented in a Cinema. The period, which the cinema depicts, can be assessed by some images shown in that cinema. Examples: the wall poster, Name board in the market places, Dresses worn by the characters and the like. This paper, keeping this as the framework, tries to study the representation of middle classes especially Brahmin families in Tamil cinemas, which is the forte of K.Balachander, who contributed more to the Tamil cinema as a director. This also studies the various historical events and their impact through the cinemas of K.Balachander.
The authentication of historical events can be done by comparing the contemporary representations in different movies of the same period and also with the other traditional historical documents and evidences. Cinema, as a historical source, can throw more light into a particular event. Different dimensions of that event can be brought out through the Cinema as a historical document. Unlike conventional, the source, here is an image, more precisely moving image. Documentary cinemas can authentically be used as historical sources undoubtedly as the representation is direct and accurate, whereas the feature films have the information hidden into its content and narration. It can only indirectly points to an incident or an important event. Studying history in cinemas is really cumbersome task. In spite of its inherent complexity, why should we consider the cinema as one of the historical source or evidence? The answer is very simple because it is cinema, an integrated art form, which in many ways supersedes the other art forms. The vivid representation of the disintegration of a middle class Brahmin Family by Sathayajit Ray’s Pather Panjali can never be replaced by any historical documents and others for analyzing and studying the middle class family of that contemporary period.
The state of middle class families and their problems, desires, dreams and similar others in 50s to 70s can be known and studied from the contemporary cinemas, which represented the middle class lives in those periods. Under this hood, the representation of middle classes by K.Balachander, in his cinemas can be studied in detail. Mere studying and analyzing the middle classes through his cinemas will be spineless, if it is not kept under the historical context. Example a Hindi Pundit of Middle class family loses his job due to the agitation against the Hindi in Tamil Nadu, during the 50s and 60s. This man’s problem is not only his problem; it is because of the up rise of a political movement at that period. So, it is imperative to study the history woven into the cinemas. This study is not about history of Cinemas. It’s about studying the history embedded into the content and narration presented in a Cinema.
Author: Dr. M Joseph
For Full article: Please contact: researchermjoseph@gmail.com
The Basic theme of this article is for a wide range of a book.
ReplyDeleteYou found a wonderful ward "cinema as a historical document", really it's Great.
In the feature, you may try to write a book on this same title.
like our generation missed the things which "ural, ulakkai, kalappai, inland letters, telegrams, style of jewels and so many things, we can identify, and educate our children through cinema only, and people like you only can do this classic job.