GENDER, CASTE, AND CLASS: AN INTERSECTIONAL ANALYSIS OF MALAYALAM CINEMA

This paper investigates how Malayalam cinema depicts the overlapping dynamics of gender, caste, and class through the lens of Intersectionality. Developed by Kimberlé Crenshaw, this framework clarifies how diverse layers of social inequity converge to define individual lived realities. As a cultural medium, film does more than entertain; it mirrors and interrogates social hierarchies, providing a fertile ground for intersectional study. By analyzing specific films—Kammatipaadam, The Great Indian Kitchen, and Kumbalangi Nights—this study highlights the representation of marginalized identities within contemporary narratives. I argue that these cinematic works expose the intricate ways gender-based oppression is inseparable from caste structures and class-driven inequality.