Abstract
This paper examines how caste and monstrosity intersect in Indian social and cultural imaginaries, focusing on the Malayalam folk-horror movie, Brahmayugam (2024). The caste system, or the practice of social stratification based on the varna system, has had a foothold in Indian society since the Vedic period. Set in the 17th-century Malabar region, Brahmayugam portrays the feudal system of Kerala against the backdrop of a Brahminical mana. It employs Malayalam folklore and ritualistic practice, with the figure of the Chathan (loosely related to the concept of goblin/poltergeist/child demon) taking over the protagonist’s body. Chathan is a Dravidian figure worshipped by the lower-castes and tribal groups in Kerala, associated with the primordial idea of worshipping one’s ancestors and resistance to Brahminical authority. His non-Vedic roots and non-conformity to the rigid upper-caste taxonomical categories result in depictions that portray him as a lower-caste monster. Brahminical retellings often portray the Chathan as a dangerous subhuman entity controlled through rituals, turning him into a figure of monstrous excess. In dominant discourses, he is relegated to a monster, a being whose non-Brahminical power is feared and stigmatised. The Chathan has been re-imagined as a demonic presence in the movie, which points to the Brahminical anxiety towards lower-caste rituals and spirituality. Placing the figure of Chathan within body horror studies, I argue that such portrayals of lower-caste deities reflect caste anxieties inscribed on the body through excess and abjection. I examine how hegemonic narratives and knowledge systems depict lower-caste figures as impure and monstrous.
Presenters
Maria JosephStudent, Doctoral, English and Foreign Languages University, Andhra Pradesh, India
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Folklore, Monsters, Casteism, Body Horror
