Thread by @AKapisthalam

#KaalaReviews Pa Ranjith's narrative in #kaala is seeped in ambedkar-periyar/communist imagery and attempts to drive home ramayan revisionism (couched in the dubious aryan-Dravidian dichotomy) 1/n

However, delightfully and unintentionally, dharmiks and libertarians have the last laugh... @Gopanarya @GhorAngirasa @pinakasena 2/n

The protest terms are essentially ambedkarite. The youth "bheema", clearly a reference to Ambi goes to summon superstar who is adorned in periyar's justice party colours 3/n

Throughout the movie, the presence of Buddha images in the background, and references to #kaala at the Buddha shrine reinforce ambi 4/n

The villain practicing untouchability and lord ram becoming a symbol of regression encapsulate the periyar theme 5/n

The white/black contrast present the Aryan Dravidian dichotomy (no prizes for guessing the "good guy"!)...6/n

The revisionism presenting ravana as the victim and asserted of Dravidian rights is the perfect foil for all of the above themes....7/n

So where did Pa. ranjith score an own goal? @beemji There are several (my glee is unconcealed)

Kaala himself is Karikaalan. Idea being to invoke one of the greatest Tamil rulers of yore. Note, however, that Karikaalan is asserted by Sangam poetry to belong to Kashyapa Gothra! @GhorAngirasa 8/n

Further, shiva sthala puranas have him down as a Vedic and agamic scholar ! The character's very name blows the ambi-periyar narrative out of the water! 9/n

Another self goal is the reference to "Dai naan vengayan mavan da"... a clear reference to Rajendra chola (novel by Akhilan)...10/n

Did pa. Ranjith realise that the cholas trace their ancestry to dharmic roots in the north ? @Gopanarya @GhorAngirasa 11/n

Whilst one mulls over these fundamental (I'm certain unintended) ironies in the social narrative , the economic leaning attracts my attention..12/n

The protests, colours and kaala's son (lenin) evoke communist imagery. But the primary theme of the movie is the quintessential libertarian theme of protecting property rights ! @Iyervval 13/n

Fin. Mic drop n/n #KaalaReview