Tamil Cinema바카라�s Demon King Or Tragic Hero? 

바카라�It바카라�s a thin line and if one doesn바카라�t cross it, the narration can go whichever way they want it to go,바카라� director Saran told Outlook. He believes that reimagining characters and narratives is welcome if the essence of the story is kept "holy". Saran says that Raavan바카라�s character began to be viewed differently when Dravidian ideology entered the picture. The narrative established from when Valmiki wrote the Ramayana changed with the arrival of Samanargal (Tamil Jains), notes the director known for films like 바카라�Vasool Raja MBBS바카라� (dubbed in Hindi as 'Munna Bhai MBBS') and 'Gemini'.

Director Pa Ranjith바카라�s 바카라�Kaala,바카라� though not a direct representation of Raavan, is a subtle take on the character. Superstar Rajnikanth (Kaala) is seen donning black outfits, acting as the people바카라�s 바카라�saviour바카라� and standing up against Hari Dada (Nana Patekar)바카라�always in white outfits--who wrongs the people of Dharavi.

Raavan바카라�s image as an advocate for social justice, one who stands for the people of his land, is portrayed through Ranjith바카라�s lens in 'Kaala'. Rajnikanth바카라�s character stands up to his former lover when her actions don바카라�t align with people바카라�s rights. 바카라�I will always be selfish for our rights. My people are not lambs to be slaughtered by anybody,바카라� he says.

Meanwhile, Mani Ratnam바카라�s 2010 Tamil film 'Raavanan', which features Vikram (as Veeraiya), Aishwarya Rai (as Ragini), and Prithviraj (as Dev), is a modern-day retelling of the Ramayana, but from a place of revenge. The film바카라�s Raavan (Veeraiya) abducts Sita (Ragini), who is Dev바카라�s (Ram) wife. Veeraiya바카라�s move to kidnap Ragini stems from the death of his sister Vennila (Surpanakha), portrayed by Priyamani. Mostly clad in dark-toned outfits, Veeraiya is perceived as the people바카라�s advocate while Dev is taken as the flagbearer of honesty. 

바카라�Yes, Raavan was a Tamilian, a worshipper of Lord Shiva. But then, does it make his act of abducting Sita right? What he did was wrong, it is as simple as that,바카라� says action director and director Kanal Kannan. Having worked in films like 'Dasavatharam', 'Sandakozhi' and 'Ayan', Kannan says that a villain cannot be presented in any other way just because Dravidian ideologies have put forth different theories about an epic.

The common factor in all conversations about the shifted portrayal of Raavan originates from Dravidian rule in Tamil Nadu. The ideology comes from Periyar바카라�s 'Self-Respect Movement'. Dravidian ideology opposes caste and religion and positions itself as an advocate of social justice. 

Saran provides a fresh take on Raavan. As a director and a writer, he views the entire epic from the 바카라�Surpanakha perspective.바카라� He explains the narrative, beginning with how Raavan killed Vidyutjihva in a battle with the Kalakeya Danava clan without even considering that he was taking the life of his sister바카라�s husband. This act by Raavan stays with Surpanakha, who then considers revenge. 바카라�Once she comes to know of Ram, Laxman, and Sita, she realises that they are the right people to kill Raavan. She goes to her brother and showers praises on Sita and her beauty in front of him, sparking desire in him. Raavan바카라�s longing for Sita ultimately leads him to abduct her, which makes Ram and Laksman his enemies and ends with them claiming his life. Such an angle is very interesting,바카라� explains Saran. 

Kannan says that Raavan바카라�s portrayal cannot be discussed without politics. According to Kannan, "The believers of Dravidian ideology, those who did not believe in the existence of God and more precisely, those with an 바카라�anti-God바카라� mindset, are the ones who play up the villain character."

Several theories about the epic are in circulation. Saran dismisses one such 바카라�cooked-up바카라� theory which describes Sita as Raavan바카라�s daughter바카라�as shown in the 1987 Tamil film 바카라�Elangeswaran바카라�. 

The exploration of Raavan바카라�s 바카라�other바카라� side바카라�Shiva devotee, scholar and 바카라�the people바카라�s king', prompts Kannan to note that even if he was a true worshipper of Lord Shiva, he had abducted another man바카라�s wife. 바카라�How can he be the hero then?바카라� he asks. 

But what about creative license for filmmakers? "In terms of storytelling, there is an element of fact in Ram바카라�s journey--right from the beginning, how he crosses all the obstacles and arrives at the point of his victory. Whereas in Raavan바카라�s journey, there is no such element of fact, which makes up for an interesting aspect. He can do anything; he can think anything,바카라� Saran elaborates. He adds that the narratives of Raavan being a people바카라�s king and an advocate of social justice are all 바카라�manipulative바카라�.

Kannan thinks that Raavan getting swayed by Surpanakha바카라�s praises about Sita and his kidnapping of Ram바카라�s wife is one of the biggest proofs of his villainy. 바카라�Some narratives are portraying Raavan as the hero, those are wrong,바카라� he says. "The Ramayana is a divine epic, which shows the victory of good over evil as well as the fact that one man is for one woman. Therefore, if someone abducts another man바카라�s wife, he is a bad character바카라�

However, Saran notes that there can be as many interpretations as possible until the narrative is not twisted as per someone바카라�s convenience. 바카라�If there is a copyright for the original epic, there is a particular layer to it and that layer should be kept sacrosanct,바카라� he says. Saran warns of a time when the younger generation will glean most of their information from films, emphasising that filmmakers and creators need to be mindful of the narrative they present.

바카라�If I make a Ramayana movie today, I would not touch it up or make changes to the original epic. I will keep it as is and capture every part of Ram바카라�s life,바카라� says Kannan, asserting that 바카라�no matter how big of a Shiva devotee Raavan was, what he did remains wrong.바카라�