Siddhant Chaturvedi and Triptii Dimri’s Dhadak 2 is finally out in theatres. The movie, which is the official Hindi adaptation of the Tamil film Pariyerum Perumal, hit headlines for how the caste system was represented with skin colour.
The movie got criticized pre-release for trying to change the male lead Siddhant Chaturvedi’s skin colour with the help of make-up to make him appear like a lower-class man aka a Dalit man. Whether you like it or not, there are movies on the same concept of lower-caste being treated differently that deserve your attention just as much, if not more. Bonus: They’re not all love stories, but still very relevant to how society has treated them, and a few of them are about how these characters stood back up with grace.
Films on caste discrimination you need to explore after watching Dhadak 2
Sairat
The original movie which inspired Dhadak, Nagraj Manjule’s Sairat is the story of lovers who faced the wrath of their family members and tragedy struck the lovers when these family members decided to take the road of deceit rather than letting two lovers live. Sairat still remains a classic when it comes to stories of caste discrimination and society failing humans.
Fandry
Nagraj Manjule made his debut directorial with another story exploring caste discrimination. Fandry tells the tale of love and caste discrimination too, only this time the love story begins in school.
Super 30
When talking about make-up required to portray a Dalit, how could one forget Super 30? Before Siddhant Chaturvedi in Dhadak 2, Hrithik Roshan underwent the skin colour change through make-up in order to appear like a Dalit teacher. Although the story had some scope, it was ruined because of his unnatural appearance.
Manjhi
In comparison, Nawazuddin Siddiqui absolutely nailed it as Dashrath Manjhi. The Mountain Man, as he is known today, Manjhi narrates the tale of how a lower-caste man cut down a mountain and turned it into a road after his wife fell and died in an accident because the government failed to keep their promise and make lives in his village safer.
Sonchiriya
Sonchiriya is among the classic tales featuring some brilliant actors who turned Dacoits to rebel when their basic requirements were not met. Starring the likes of Manoj Bajpayee, late Sushant Singh Rajput and Ranvir Shorey in pivotal roles, the movie is an underrated gem everybody needs to explore.
All the aforementioned movies can be streamed digitally via OTTplay Premium.