Thread by @lokeshbag67

The movie #Karnan by @mari_selvaraj shows the collective anti-caste resistance to break the shackles of Caste. I will try to explain all the symbolisms and metaphors in the Movie.

A Thread 🧵

First shot of the movie depicts how UC people ignore the people from oppressed caste. Even if the person is dying, they will just ignore it. Like Pariyerum Perumal the movie starts with death and the death of his innocent sister fuels the character "KARNAN''

There is a shot of statue of a king figure in the song ‘Kanda Vara sollunga’ riding a horse, holding a sword. That statue resembles Veeran Sundaralingam.

Chick depicts the oppressed caste people and Eagle symbolises the oppressor Caste people.

There are many shots that depicts the close relationship of Dalits with insects and other animals like horse, donkey, cow, dog, pig, birds and elephant.

Even during the song Thattan Thattan there was close up shots of insects and animals.

There is meeting about bus not stopping at Podiyankulam and the girl facing harrassment by UC men. In that scene, the goats become part of the meeting, standing beside the villagers.

These two shots symbolises the fact that goddess of Podiyankulam is not only for the humans of the village, she is also the goddess of all the animals living in the village.

Donkey's legs are tied by the owner & noone is untying it. Everyone is thinking that this is not their responsibility. It is a metaphor used by Mari Silveraj for Caste and Freedom. Villagers are tied with the rope of caste & they think the person who tied the rope will free them.

In Mahabharat Draupadi herself prevented Karna from participating in the Swyamvar, calling him a Suta Putra. But there is no such thing between Karnan and Draupadi in the movie "Karnan".

Pregnant woman couldn't get a bus. When her son throws a stone at the bus, the conductor from the bus comes out and beat the boy and old man. Noone cares about the pregnant woman. It shows how oppressor caste people knowingly ignore lower caste people and their plight.

There are many headless figures in the movie
1. Headless Buddha
2. Headless painting of Army figure (at the end they draw yema's head)
3. At climax Karnan decapitate the Police
It symbolises that it is not the person that is important, but the philosophy that the person believes.

The Mask of the goddess of their village used to depict all the girls who lost their life because of Caste system. It was intentional to mention that the face is not important, caste is important. The mask depicts every girl who suffered the same fate.

Rearing of pigs by Grandfather Yeman which represents the pigs breeding practice (culture) among the people of the Pallar community in Tamil Nadu.

There is a scene where the Police beat up the elders of the village in the Police station. One police man hides inside the toilet. It depict the situation of a Dalit police man, if the majority of police force are from oppressor Caste.

Horse is used in the movie as a metaphor to remind people that people of oppressed caste get killed for riding a horse. But now, oppressed caste person will ride a horse and carry a sword to kill oppressor caste policeman.

The Goddess of Podiyankulam feels like a Goddess who shows the way out of slavery to the villagers. Their religion appears to be earthly, organic and not based on superstitions.

Choosing female God instead of male God is a symbol for the status of women in Podiyankulam.