From Absence to Assertion: Dalit Women on the Periphery of the Indian Parallel Screen

Abstract

The paper examines the representation, absence, and eventual assertion of Dalit women in Parallel cinema or New Indian Cinema. While Parallel cinema has historically positioned itself as a progressive and realist alternative to mainstream Bollywood, its treatment of caste—particularly the intersection of caste and gender—has often mirrored dominant ideological silences. Dalit women have been doubly marginalized: first, by a dominant caste patriarchy and second, by a cinematic discourse that renders them invisible or voiceless. The article traces the socio-political reasons for this exclusion, the occasional moments of representational rupture, and the recent emergence of Dalit women’s voices in film and discourse. Drawing from intersectional feminist theory, subaltern studies, and cinematic analysis, the article aims to explore how Dalit women’s narratives have been co-opted, silenced, or marginalized. It also examines the evolution of their screen presence from passive victims or metaphorical symbols to active agents and narrators of their own stories. Using key films from the 1970s to the present—such as Ankur (1974), Nishant (1975), Manthan (1976), Samar (1999), Fandry (2013), and Kaala (2018)—the paper critiques both the aesthetics and politics of Parallel cinema. Lastly, the paper argues for a decolonial and Dalit-feminist cinematic lens, one that not only critiques representational gaps but also advocates for structural change within the film industry. Through the voices of Dalit filmmakers, writers, and activists, this paper envisions a future where Dalit women’s subjectivity is not merely included but centred in cinematic discourse.