This Dalit History Month, we bring a list of films that represent the circumstances of caste and its dimensions in India on screen. Many of these are regional films, and hence depict a specific area’s history with caste, and the communities who are affected by them. Film becomes an important medium to capture the layered ways in which caste enters the most mundane interactions.
Sairaat
The film follows two college classmates who fall in love with each other, and then face the realities of inter-caste marriage in India. Directed by Nagraj Manjule and set in interior Maharashtra, the film shows how quickly things can change once caste enters the picture.
Pariyerum Perumal
Pariyerum Perumal is a critically acclaimed Tamil drama film that marked the directorial debut of Mari Selvaraj. The film is widely regarded as a milestone in Indian cinema for its raw and honest exploration of caste discrimination and Ambedkarite ideology.
Coat
Set in rural Bihar, the story is centred around Madho, a young man from a family of pig farmers considered low-caste by their village. The story is about his search for a coat, a garment that he sees as a representation of freedom and self-discovery.
Homebound
As India’s official entry to the Oscars, Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound looks at two friends from different caste backgrounds, as they make a long journey during the Covid-19 pandemic. It is once again a representation of the way caste seeps into everything: jobs, friendships, love.
Masaan
Set in Varanasi, Masaan has two separate stories that unfold side by side, with Vicky Kaushal and Richa Chadha as part of the main cast. One of the storylines looks at a relationship shaped by caste, and shows how these boundaries continue to affect people, even when they try to move past them.
Fandry
Fandry is another film by Nagraj Manjule. Set in rural Maharashtra, it follows a young boy from a Dalit family who develops a crush on an upper-caste girl. The film traces his everyday life as he navigates school, work, and social hierarchies.
Karnan
Another one from Mari Selvaraj with Dhanush as the lead is Karnan. It revolves around the caste realities of a small village in Tamil Nadu, with Karnan as the lead character, who chooses to stand up for himself and the people of his village.
Words Platform Desk
Date 17.4.2026