Tangalan: Post-Colonial Subaltern Cinema
Ashoka Kumar V Writes- The film critiques both European colonial and Indian caste-based oppression through historical experiences rooted in regional realities. On one side, rural caste supremacy seizes Dalit lands, rendering them landless and reducing them to agricultural servitude. On the other, European colonial modernity offers monetary wages in new sectors to escape this rural bondage.
As a cultural critique of colonialism, postcolonial aesthetics, which has strong roots in Afro-Latin America, has not been widely adopted in the Indian subcontinent. Art and literature concerning Indian modernity primarily surged with resentment against the caste structure and the British rule before independence. Yet, post-independence Indian literature has not engaged with cultural critiques of the colonial era in the same manner seen in Afro-Asian contexts. Even after India attained political independence, postcolonial writings that critically assess the pervasive, enduring impacts of colonial rule at a nuanced level are not prominent here.
This lack of a strong postcolonial tradition in India can be attributed to several factors. After independence, writers—disillusioned with unmet political promises—turned their focus inward, exploring existential and spiritual struggles. Dalit literature, emerging in the 1990s, has since addressed unresolved social inequalities within post-independence India, often viewing colonial modernity as a path to liberation from caste-based oppression.
However, as the African experience of slavery carries the bitterness of white racial hatred, political and social resistance there merged into one, focusing opposition against both colonialism and racial discrimination as a single adversary. As a result, even after the political dominance of colonial rule ended, postcolonial literature in other Third World regions actively analyzes how the subtle echoes of colonialism continue at a cultural level as seeds of new forms of power.
In India, as the age-old Brahmanical hegemony and its caste system were burning internal realities before the European invasion, emancipation from these social and cultural oppressions is fundamental in the subaltern philosophies both before and after the struggle for independence. Dalit thought, in particular, maintains that the political and social revival of oppressed communities in India might not have been possible without European colonialism. This view has led to a focus on dismantling caste structures, sidelining colonial critique in popular literature.
Another reason for the limited strength of Indian postcolonial works lies in the post-independence leftist art consciousness, which focused on critiquing feudal structures and promoting European modernism. The international Marxist aesthetic perspective saw power in the hands of the working class as sufficient to dismantle native-imperialist structures, leaving postcolonial perspectives largely unexplored.
Thus, postcolonialism in India is largely confined to historical studies, with limited influence on creative works. Dominant perspectives—Marxist and Dalit—have generally overlooked postcolonial critiques. In such a context, the Hindutva political movement exploits Indian society’s latent resistance to colonial cultural burdens, rebranding “India” as “Bharat” and the “Indian Penal Code” as the “Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita,” masking anti-democratic measures under a nationalist guise.
It is within this context that Tangalan, directed by Pa. Ranjith, emerges. Moving beyond the conventional Dalit perspective, it articulates a postcolonial vision through the language of the subaltern.
The film critiques both European colonial and Indian caste-based oppression through historical experiences rooted in regional realities. On one side, rural caste supremacy seizes Dalit lands, rendering them landless and reducing them to agricultural servitude. On the other, European colonial modernity offers monetary wages in new sectors to escape this rural bondage. This new wage-based economy frees the Dalit community from agricultural labor and the rigid caste confines of the village. In the story, British officer Lord Clement liberates the Pariyas of Vepur, transporting them to Kolar as wage laborers for gold mining.
The British officer’s promise represents not only freedom from caste-based agricultural oppression but also from the village itself, entrenched in age-old caste practices. Symbolically, he provides vibrant upper garments to the women, signifying their transition from caste-based customs to a modern identity. Tangalan Pariyayan, instructed by the officer, brings these garments back to his village, and the promise of modernity entices villagers to leave for Kolar.
Yet, as the film illustrates, colonial forces ultimately usurped the local wisdom of Tangalan’s community regarding gold mining, appropriating their knowledge and labor to exploit resources. Approximately 260,000 descendants of these laborers still endure the aftermath of mining in Kolar, deprived of basic amenities amidst hazardous waste.
The film also delves into the divergent perceptions of freedom between the tribals and the Dalits. While the indigenous Kolar community sacrifices to protect their mineral resources, the Pariyas, drawn by colonial promises, lead the British officer to these resources. In a poignant twist, Tangalan realizes his ancestral connection to the tribal community only after the British seize the gold and betray the Pariyas.
Ranjith’s film asserts that local communities are the true custodians of natural resources, echoing the struggle of Odisha’s Dongria Kondh tribe, who legally fought to preserve their land from bauxite mining. By referencing the special powers granted to tribal councils under the Forest Rights Act, Tangalan emphasizes community rights to indigenous resources and challenges the colonial, linear notion of progress.
The film ultimately rejects the dichotomy between Indian casteist society and colonial logic, both of which serve elite interests. Despite superficial differences, both systems exploit the labor and resources of the marginalized. Tangalan poignantly portrays the everyday life of the Paraiyas with songs and laughter, contrasting with the rigid, work-centered environment imposed by colonial mining.
Through a powerful postcolonial subaltern lens, Tangalan critiques caste oppression and British colonial modernity’s devastating impact. It also highlights the collaboration of the Indian elite, who, as stewards of British interests, perpetuate both caste and economic exploitation. Ranjith’s film concludes with a powerful image: Tangalan’s son, Ashoka, restores the head of a Buddha statue that was decapitated during the Chola dynasty, symbolizing a return to Tamil Buddhism, which had resisted Brahmanical rule. In doing so, Ashoka reclaims his heritage and attempts to dissuade his father from pursuing the false promise of colonial forces through the principles of Dharma.
The visual language of Tangalan combines realism with epic fantasy, using myths and stories to comment on contemporary realities. By centering the protagonist’s quest for historical truth, Ranjith appeals to a broad audience, blending heroism, dance, conflict, and magic. He invites viewers to journey through the postcolonial subaltern experience, making Tangalan a powerful critique wrapped in popular cinema’s appeal.
Translated by A K Shiburaj
This article was originally published at https://www.keraleeyammasika.com
He was a teacher at the Marancheri Government Higher Secondary School in Malappuram district. He is involved in and writes on environmental and social issues. He was the editor of the magazine One Land One Life. He has published the books Green Revolution: The Fruit of the Fruit of Evil, White Rice that Gives Disease, Environmental Action at Home and School, Disease-Spawning Chemical Fertilizer, and the Political Psychology of Neo-Liberalism and Universal Worship in Malayalam and the book Disease-Spawning Chemical Fertilizer, published by Other India Press in English. He writes articles in periodicals that focus on cultural politics in the post-colonial context. He is active in Kerala Bio-Agricultural Committee and Good Food Movement-Ponnani.