Contested Reforms: Dalit Women, the Public Sphere and the Cinematic Assertion of Caste

Abstract

The representation of Dalit women in early Indian cinema has been closely associated with broader issues of caste, gender, and social hierarchies, reflecting a complex interplay of reformist ideals and conventional cultural norms. This analysis, based on Nancy Fraser’s critique of Jurgen Habermas’s concept of the public sphere, highlights the ways in which cinematic narratives from the 1930s to 1960s both challenged and reinforced dominant caste ideologies. Rather than dismantling existing biases, these films frequently idealised Dalit women’s suffering and submission and, hence, consolidated existing social structures. Situated within wider historical contexts marked by colonialism and nationalism, this article also critiques how Hindi didactic literature of the colonial era equally contributed to the perpetuation of stereotypes and the shaping of cinematic portrayals of Dalit women. The paper contends that early Indian cinema worked not only as a mirror to society but also as an active participant in solidifying caste-based discrimination, complicating the progressive narratives of social reform.