Deconstructing Power, Myth and History: A Critical Exploration of the Movie Bramayugam

Abstract The Paper is a critical exploration of the movie Bramayugam, a movie that redefined Malayalam horror genre depictions. It was directed by Rahul Sadasivan and was released on 15 February, 2024. The film falls into the genre of dark fantasy horror drama, that showcases the exceptional performance of Mammooty, Arjun Ashokan and Sidharth Bharathan. The dialogues written by T. D. Ramakrishnan magnifies the mysterious plot and has redefined the horror genre in Malayalam cinema. This black-n-white movie portrays the folklore elements of 17th century Kerala in a totally different manner and unfolds an intriguing tale that has interconnections with myth and History. A film can mirror society in many multifaceted ways. By deconstructing the underlying power, myth and History in the movie, this paper illuminates on the intricate relationship shared between these critical terms in analyzing a society. The paper also discusses on the ways in which the movie questions the power dynamics, mythical representations and historical depictions of the 17th century, Malabar. Keywords – Power, Myth, History, Cultural Studies, Horror