Friday, 25 April 2025
Friday, 25 April 2025
Ananth Mahadevan’s Phule is set to hit theatres today following backlash and CBFC censorship, joining a growing canon of movies that explore caste dynamics in India.
Starring Pratik Gandhi and Patralekhaa, Phule is billed as an unflinching portrayal of Indian society, based on real-life incidents recorded in history. Here are eight must-watch Indian movies where caste discrimination took the centre stage before Phule.
Bandit Queen (1994)
Directed by Shekhar Kapur, Bandit Queen is a visceral portrait of Phoolan Devi, a lower-caste woman who survived systemic abuse to become a feared dacoit and later a politician. Adapted from Mala Sen’s book, the film traces Phoolan’s harrowing journey through poverty, caste oppression, gang violence, and sexual violence. Seema Biswas delivers a searing performance as Phoolan, embodying her rage, resilience, and complex morality.
Stream it on: Prime Video
Masaan (2015)
Neeraj Ghaywan’s directorial debut Masaan explores the intertwining lives of two individuals navigating love, loss, and societal constraints in Varanasi. Devi (Richa Chadha), a young woman caught in a moral scandal, fights to reclaim her dignity in a conservative society. Meanwhile, Deepak (Vicky Kaushal), a boy from the Dom caste, who burns funeral pyres, falls in love with Shaalu, an upper-caste girl dreaming of a life beyond his inherited identity. Their stories unfold against the backdrop of a city where tradition suffocates personal freedom.
Stream it on: Prime Video
Sairat (2016)
Sairat is a Marathi-language romantic drama directed by Nagraj Manjule that explores the deep-rooted caste divide in rural India. The film follows Archi (Rinku Rajguru), an upper-caste girl from a family of powerful politicians, and Parshya (Akash Thosar), a low-caste, bright and ambitious boy. Their blossoming romance defies rigid social norms, sparking violent backlash from Archi’s family and community. Forced to flee, the couple builds a new life in the city, away from caste hierarchies — only to be brutally reminded that caste follows them everywhere.
Available on: ZEE5
Pariyerum Perumal (2018)
A law student from a marginalised community faces humiliation, casteist slurs, and violence as he dares to dream of a better life in Mari Selvaraj’s 2018 drama Pariyerum Perumal. His life takes a devastating turn when he falls in love with a higher-caste woman, an act that triggers violent backlash from society.
Stream it on: Prime Video
Asuran (2019)
Based on the novel Vekkai by Poomani, this Tamil film starring Dhanush is an emotionally-charged tale of a farmer’s fight to protect his family from oppression. The Vetrimaaran directorial follows Sivasami (Dhanush), a lower-caste farmer, whose son murders an upper-caste landlord in retaliation to humiliation. As Sivasamy goes on the run to protect his son, the film chronicles his violent past shaped by systemic caste oppression.
Stream it on: Prime Video
Article 15 (2019)
Article 15 follows IPS officer Ayan Ranjan (Ayushmann Khurrana), who confronts the brutal realities of caste discrimination in an Uttar Pradesh village after the disappearance of three Dalit girls. Drawing inspiration from the real-life 2014 Badaun case, the Anubhav Sinha-directed film underscores the relevance of Article 15 of the Indian Constitution, which prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth.
Jai Bhim (2021)
A courtroom drama inspired by a real-life case, Jai Bhim revolves around a courageous lawyer, Chandru, who takes up the case of a pregnant woman seeking justice after her husband, Rajakannu, is falsely accused of theft and tortured to death by the police. The T.J. Gnanavel-directed film highlights the caste-based discrimination and police brutality faced by lower caste and tribal individuals in rural India.
Stream it on: Prime Video
Karnan (2021)
Directed by Mari Selvaraj and starring Dhanush in the lead role, Karnan explores the systemic oppression of marginalised communities in rural Tamil Nadu. The story follows Karnan (Dhanush), a young Dalit man who faces discrimination from the upper-caste authorities. When his people are denied basic rights, including access to education and justice, Karnan becomes a symbol of resistance, leading a revolt against the entrenched caste hierarchy.
Stream it on: Prime Video
