Identity Crisis In Shaji N Karun's Vanaprastham

Abstract

Vanaprastham is an Indo French movie directed by Shaji N Karun. Set in the backdrop of Kathakali, a native dance form of Kerala, the movie visualises the tale of a tormented dancer. There is art, emotion, drama, social injustice and other perspectives of life discussed  in this movie. It represents issues related to marginality in terms of caste and class in different ways through the plot, characters and settings. The protagonist of the movie Kunjikuttan, a Kathakali artist, faces dilemma and confronts a conflict between his self and on-stage persona. There is an identity crisis and social exclusion experienced by the protagonist in various  stages in his personal and professional life. A confusion between the real and the fantasy adds to the trauma in life of the lead characters. Everything around questions the existence of Kunjikuttan as an individual, as a family man and as an artist. The paper is an analysis of the protagonist in existentialism and Dalit identity faced by the protagonist. Even in this 21st C, these issues are widely taken for discussions, as even now our society faces a lot of issues that deals with identity. Thus, the study is very relevant to understand the depth of inner conflicts of the marginalised sections of the population. The paper attempts to analyse the representation of the 'real' self and the art from the perspective of caste system.