Based on Perumal Murugan’s short stories Sethuman explores social hierarchies and their complexities
setumanBased on Perumal Murugan’s short stories, explores social hierarchies and their complexities
Setuman opens with a set of powerful images. Some are festive and some are touching.
Director Thamiz has probably used these images to set the stage for the story to unfold. But in themselves, the images are a different story. They are about a Dalit colony whose hunting dominant caste is worried about a mysterious disease that kills their cattle. He suspects Dalits of killing cattle for beef. Sethuman has grandson Kumarasan, the son of a Dalit man, who was killed for eating beef and fighting against caste oppression.
It is now a well-known fact that Sethuman Perumal by Neelam Productions is based on Murugan’s short story Varugari (Roasted Meat), but the illustrations are from another short story by the author – Mapu Kodukkanunj Sami (Excuse us, Sami).
Maapu Kodukkanunj Saami was written in 2011 and Varugari in 2012. A decade later, the two short stories, together in a different format, are doing the rounds of film festivals and released on an OTT platform. “Director Mapu Kodukkanunj was looking forward to some scenes of Sami but could not. So, he narrated the story through a set of images at the beginning of the film,” says Perumal.
compelling story
Through both short stories, he weaves a compelling story of continued discrimination against Dalits through a complex labyrinth of caste and food. If Mapu Kodukkanunj Sami was about a hate crime against Dalits for eating beef, then Varugari is about the pork craving of members of the dominant caste that leads to Poochi’s death. “Though the stories were written a decade ago, the issue has been in existence for a long time. In Varugari the pig is killed with a hammer, in the film it is killed by injecting a needle. But the changes stopped at that. The stories are painfully relevant, and they will remain so as long as caste is a reality,” says Perumal, who has also written the film’s dialogues.
“When the director approached me he was honest. He wanted to make the film on a tight budget and thought this short story would work. I was convinced of his honesty. ,
choose title
“Thamis”, says Perumal, “randomly picked up an issue of Kalachuvadu magazine at a book fair and chanted this short story. There was also much discussion about the title of the film.” Was suggested by my student Gopi, who works as a teacher near Namakkal.”
When translated into visual form, the story underwent some changes. “It was challenging to portray a story written by an author of Perumal Murugan’s caliber on screen,” says Thamij.
He read the story several times, formulated a set of questions, and began looking for answers, sometimes in Perumal Murugan’s body of work. “That is how I chose Mapu Kodukkanunj Sami as Poochi’s past. Unlike a short story, a film demands a past for its protagonist and a dream for him. ,
Poochi’s dream was to educate her grandson. “It was not in the story, but in a film such elements are required. I couldn’t think of a better dream for a man like Poochie.”
today’s scenario
Rangan’s assertiveness, Thamij says, epitomizes the current mood of rebellion. “In the short story, Rangan’s character is very limited, but in the film, I envisioned him as a perfect foil to Poochi, who has to sacrifice in the larger interest of his grandson’s education.”
But fundamentally, the film remains faithful to the original story, effectively conveying the horrors of caste and its lived experiences, particularly in western Tamil Nadu.
Perumal Murugan says this is the first work to be made into a full-length film. His novel Koolmathari (published in English as Season of the Palm) on caste discrimination in western Tamil Nadu is also being adapted into a film. It is again by a new director and a new team. And perhaps another strong story of Tamil cinema.
The author is a Chennai based freelance journalist.