Annan and Karuna are involved in the fake marriage racket and are portrayed as footsoldiers of a corporation that is intent on taking over land in the village.ĭraupathi’s uncle, a community leader, says in the film that “these people”-Annan and Karuna-should be thrashed if they set foot in the village. Annan, some commentators say, resembles the prominent Dalit leader Thirumavalavan, though the director has denied this. The villain of the film is a political leader, referred to as “Annan”, and Karuna, his henchman. Caste icons and T-shirts bearing the logo of the Vanniyar caste associations are openly displayed. It was community-financed-some say the funds came largely from the community the director belongs to.ĭraupathi is the story of the eponymous character, played by Sheela Rajkumar, and her husband Prabhakaran, played by Richard Rishi, who struggle against corporate encroachment into their village, and a fake marriage racket where groups of ruffians (read as Dalit) target, entice, marry and cheat women of respectable (read as ‘upper’ caste or castes that aspire for upward social mobility) background.ĭraupathi is a fiery activist based in Vizhupuram, a district that is a Vanniyar stronghold. A fact the director makes no bones about is that it is this community that he is portraying. All these films were produced by big production houses and funded by corporates, but Draupathi was not. But what explains the success of this film when anti-caste films such as Vetrimaaran’s Asuran (2019) and Ranjith’s Kaala (2018) and Kabali (2016) have also done well in Tamil Nadu?ĭraupathi does not have the star cast of Asuran, Kaala or Kabali. A few critics have, with justification, called it out for supporting caste endogamy. The film’s release proved the accusers right.
Based on its trailer, many viewers accused it of a casteist slant in the dialogues. G Mohan’s Draupathi, set in modern Tamil Nadu and released in February, was a surprise hit. Despite being an independent, low-budget, crowdfunded film, it stirred up a controversy even before it hit the screens.
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