Dil Se: Addressing Trauma By Subverting Melodrama

Preview: One of Mani Ratnam’s most important films, Dil Se (from the hear) starring Manisha Koirala and Shahrukh Khan was important in more ways than one as it not only remains one of the rare pieces of mainstream (song and dance) cinema giving space to dissent against Indian state’s policies and army’s actions but also narratively, it shows how meaning of melodrama can be subverted to perform a dissenting role in a democracy. This piece tries to look at Dil Se from precisely these two perspectives.
The full version of this article is now available as part of our E-Anthology ‘Cinema and Reality’. You can purchase it for Rs 100, here or for $3 here. To know more about the anthology please click here. Thanks for your support and contribution!