Anti-Brahmin sentiments ?

Ghatashraddha (Kannada, The Death Ritual; 1977)
Director, Screenplay: Girish Kasaravalli

There must be a reason why Martin Scorsese's World Cinema Project, George Lucas' Family Foundation, and Film Heritage Foundation decided to restore the film from the original negatives in 2024. In 2002, it was voted one of the 20 best films in Indian cinema. It also snatched the Best Feature Film award, among other awards, in 1977. Looking at current world sentiments about India, the elephant in the room is that the film is about Brahmin bashing.

The colonial masters are to be blamed for anti-Brahminic feelings running high among the Indian public at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. The British wanted to understand how the Indian society was spread out. For simplicity, they used the European class system when they commenced their census taking. The varna system in India was too complicated for the Europeans to comprehend. Hence, a hierarchical system was devised with the Brahmins at the top of the food chain. The British had a vested interest. They wanted to dismantle the gokul schooling system and the teaching of Sanskrit. The Brahmins were held for fort for Sanskrit and knowledge. There was a compelling need to paint the Brahmins. So, it came to be. 
 

EV Ramasamy and many South leaders had a beef with the Indian Congress Party during the pre-Independence era. They saw their lack of opportunities to partake in the Independence struggle as a Brahmin-controlled problem. Through the Self-Respect movement, they marketed themselves as anti-Hindu. Their brand of politics persists today. As the world sees leap by bounds economically and socially, the enemies of India look at this distorted interpretation of Sanathana Dharma as the perfect weapon to run India down.

To say that caste discrimination is non-existent may be an understatement, as evidenced by the writings and experiences of many scholars and writers.

The movie is about the experience of a young student, Naani, at a dilapidated  Vedic school. The teacher's daughter, Yamuna, is a sad young widow. Yamuna has an affair with another teacher and gets pregnant. She tries to conceal her pregnancy from the inquisitive neighbours and tries to get it aborted illegally. She is exposed and is humiliated. Her father ex-communicates with her by performing Ghatshradda,  a death ritual signifying that his daughter is dead to her.

 

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