The Real and the Reflective: A Philosophical Perspective on Balu Mahendra’s Cinematic Vision
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63300/tm0701012605Keywords:
Balu Mahendra, cinematic realism, philosophical aesthetics, existentialism, Indian cinema, auteur theory, feminist film theory, rasa, phenomenologyAbstract
Balu Mahendra, commonly hailed as the "Visual Poet" of Tamil cinema, holds a unique position in Indian cinema history where realism, philosophy, and aesthetics blend. This research is an investigation of his film vision from a philosophical perspective, with existentialism, phenomenology, feminist film theory, and Indian aesthetics, specifically the Rasa tradition, being the key areas of focus. Compared to conventional Indian cinema steeped in melodrama and spectacle, Mahendra's use of natural lighting, silences, and sparse dialogue produces an introspective realism that fosters consideration. Through close analysis of Moondram Pirai (1982), Veedu (1988), Sandhya Raagam (1989), Marupadiyum (1993), and Julie Ganapathi (2003), the paper examines themes of death, memory, moral complexity, and empathy. His empathetic representation of women resists Laura Mulvey's "male gaze," presenting emotionally nuanced feminine subjectivity within patriarchal worlds. Reception by audiences, especially Gen Z, indicates that his "slow cinema" speaks so profoundly now, confirming Mahendra not merely as a director but as a visual philosopher negotiating Western existentialism and Indian aesthetic traditions.
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