St. Thomas_(UN)Imagining Incest: Depictions of Familial Sexual Trauma in Select Malaya-lam Films

Anagha A*
Periodicity:January - April'2025

Abstract

The stigma associated with intra-familial sexual assault has been so enormous that such issues are largely unrepre-sented in artistic creations. There have been only a handful of films in the Malayalam movie industry that break the silence surrounding abuse within the family context. The present paper analyses the depictions of incestuous abuse in select Malayalam films. The paper focuses on representations of father-daughter incest. The stark reality of intra-familial sexual abuse and the trauma that ensues from such incidents have not been dealt with the seriousness that it deserves. The young victims of such abuse in society hardly find characters in films with whom they can identify, who share their painful stories of shame and insecurity, furthering their feelings of isolation as they believe that the situation they encounter has no counterparts. Films, a widely popular entertainment medium, play a crucial role in the value for-mation of a society. Hence, it is imperative to criticize and counter the misogynistic patterns inherent in depictions of sexual abuse. Realistic and positive portrayals of survivors, their trauma and agency can significantly alter the societal perceptions of such issues.

Keywords

Father-daughter incest, Malayalam Films, Sexual Trauma, Social stigma, Victims.

How to Cite this Article?

References

If you have access to this article please login to view the article or kindly login to purchase the article

Purchase Instant Access

Single Article

North Americas,UK,
Middle East,Europe
India Rest of world
USD EUR INR USD-ROW
Pdf 35 35 200 20
Online 15 15 200 15
Pdf & Online 35 35 400 25

Options for accessing this content:
  • If you would like institutional access to this content, please recommend the title to your librarian.
    Library Recommendation Form
  • If you already have i-manager's user account: Login above and proceed to purchase the article.
  • New Users: Please register, then proceed to purchase the article.