Realism, Caste, and Ideology: A Neo-Marxist Analysis of Dalit Representation in Contemporary Indian Cinema

Cinema could be consumed in two ways – Either by escaping the realities of the world; or as a confrontation with it. The second one needs our critical understanding to unlearn certain things that were considered normal by our society. Before a few decades, mainstream cinema was created, manipulated, and circulated by those in power, to circulate their own dominant ideologies. Those who are in power, dictates the perspectives of the consumers of art. Cinema serves as a social tool, as it illustrates the grim realities. As writers like Charles Dickens, Mulk Raj Anand, Leo Tolstoy, etc.; who often showcase the stark truths, directors like Anubhava Sinha, Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen have also turned into realist film makers. They try to bring a change in the society by challenging the mainstream cinema, thus advocating social justice. Everyone becomes an active recipient while watching cinema. Cinema inspires various social movements by giving them voice and recognition. Neo-Marxist film theory emphasizes that cinema can function either as an ideological tool that reinforces dominant power structures or as a medium of resistance and emancipation. Andre Bazin, Graeme Turner, etc. advocated for realism in films, stating that Cinema should let the world speak for itself. Graeme Turner's Film as Social Practice explores how films are not just entertainment, but powerful cultural tools that reflect and shape society. The paper focusses on how Neo-Marxist theory can be applied to understand the representation of caste in Indian cinema and investigate the potential of realist Dalit films to function as counter- hegemonic narratives that challenge dominant ideologies, particularly those surrounding caste, class, and gender. The study will be built on several key theories like Realism, Neo Marxism, Dalit Writing etc., with focus on contemporary Indian Film, Article 15.