Reframing the Screen: Pa. Ranjith Visual Politics Against Dominant Narratives in Tamil Cinema

Abstract
Tamil cinema has long been shaped by dominant narratives that privilege upper-caste values, hero-centric storytelling, and homogenized cultural identities. Pa. Ranjith’s cinema emerges as a radical departure from these traditions, employing visual politics to foreground marginalized voices and alternative worldviews. This paper, titled Reframing the Screen: Pa. Ranjith’s Visual Politics Against Dominant Narratives in Tamil Cinema, examines how Ranjith deploys space, music, costume, and symbolism to articulate counter-narratives that challenge mainstream aesthetics. Films such as Madras (2014), Kabali (2016), Kaala (2018), and Sarpatta Parambarai (2021) are analysed to trace how Dalit life worlds and subaltern histories are visually represented and reclaimed. By situating marginalized communities at the center of cinematic storytelling, Ranjith disrupts the caste invisibility of Tamil cinema and redefines screen politics. His emphasis on working-class neighbourhoods, Ambedkarite iconography, Gaana music, and alternative masculinities signals a conscious effort to create a cinema rooted in social justice and cultural pride. This paper argues that Ranjith’s visual politics not only resists dominant narratives but also reimagines the ideological and aesthetic possibilities of Tamil cinema, positioning his work as a critical intervention in South Asian visual culture.