Cinematic Depictions of Hegemony And Masculinity: A Critical Analysis of Power, Gender, And Class In Indian New Wave Cinema

The Theoretical Model of Hegemony. underpinning the concept of hegemonic masculinity owes much to critical structuralism in Antonio Gramsci's Marxist analysis of class relations. Thus, the idea assumes power as fundamentally a contested entity between social groups, women, and men. The critical structural entities such as the state, education, religion, media, political institutions, and business are structurally and historically dominated by men. Indian New Wave filmmakers often considered Hegemonic Masculinity the most influential theoretical concept in gender history. Filmmakers like Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Shyam Benegal, and Girish Kasaravalli not only widely attributed the term "hegemonic masculinity" through their cinematic lens, but they also depicted how hegemonic masculinity legitimates and reproduces the socio-economic and cultural relationships in terms of power and dominance. By describing the conflicts between power and powerlessness or depicting the debasement of power, Indian New Wave filmmakers depicted how 'Hegemony' refers to a historical situation or circumstances while power is won and held. In this part, I will discuss how social relations regarding hegemonic masculinity are inextricably linked to the gendered psyche and power domination, where the concept of hegemonic masculinity should explore both socio-hierarchical and psychological domains. Here, Shyam Benegal's 'Ankur' (1974) and Adoor Gopalakrishnan's Elippathayam’ (1984), 'Vidheyan' (1994) will be discussed, exploring how Masculinities are constructed in ways that realise the class and caste dividend. It will also depict how marginalised masculinities are dependent on hegemonic masculinity for authorisation.