Emasculated Identities: A Critique of the Representation of Comedians in Malayalam Cinema

Abstract

Cinema has always a source of power and influence promoting new standards in the society while reinforcingthe existing ones. As a medium with immense sway over the human psyche, cinema has a significant ability to shape ideas and create stereotypes. My paper is built around afew Malayalam movies with a view to examining the meanings behind therole of cinema in popular culture and demonstrating the richness of thismedium as a source of signification for cultural criticism.The study attempted here is a modest one and aims at analyzing the treatment of humor and the marginalization experienced by the comedians of Malayalam cinema, pointingto a discussion of its function and the implications in the industry.An exploration of the themes and portrayals of comedians in Malayalam cinema would throw light on how representations have evolved through time and how they influence the vision of society and culture with respect to those characters who make us laugh with their antics and gimmicks. The issues addressed are: How is humor treated in Malayalam Cinema? What arethe constraints or politics involved in the representation of comedians?Are they still being cast in the same old stereotypic manneror has the representation really changed over the years? The misogyny of the mainstreammedia, and particularly the film industry, has often been discussed in academic circles. However the intention of this study is a broader examination of gender-relatedissues where the question of masculinity, is addressed in the portrayal of humorous characters in Malayalam cinema.