Rebellion from Outside the Margins: Representation of de-notified tribe and Questions of Identity in Fandry (2013)

Abstract

Fandry (2013) is the first feature film written and directed by Nagraj Manjule. The film received a national award for the best debut director and several accolades in national and international film festivals. This paper offers introductory remarks on the representation of the de-notified tribe- Kaikadi in the film Fandry (2013). It starts with the observation about the social location of de-notified tribes and stigmatization around these communities and how Fandry as a film becomes a vehicle of resistance and formation of defiant identity. I also offer a critical reading of contemporary scholarship on Fandry, which overlooks the de-notified tribe identity and appropriates the struggle in the film with the larger Dalit struggle and caste issues. While the Dalit framework forms the background of the film, I argue that Manjule, through his film Fandry, is asserting personhood by bringing in lived experiences in his cinematic narrative.