Vetri Maaran’s ‘Asuran’ shows the power of images to go where words cannot | The Indian Express

Vetri Maaran’s ‘Asuran’ shows the power of images to go where words cannot | The Indian Express

Written by Kunal Ray |Updated: October 22, 2019 10:55:00 am

The writer teaches literary and cultural studies at Pune’s Flame University.

Vetri Maaran’s ‘Asuran’ shows the power of images to go where words cannot

Asuran deals with caste oppression and social injustice. The visuals convey a searing reality that is most potent and penetrative. In such a case, language or dialogue is perhaps a shortcoming in itself.

A still from Vertri Maaran’s Asuran.

I am an admirer of Vetri Maaran’s films. Asuran, which is currently playing in theatres, was eagerly awaited after the widely-acclaimed Vada Chennai. Though the censor certificate before the screening at a multiplex in Pune promised English subtitles, there were none when the film started playing. It was a full house and I was perhaps the only non-Tamil speaker in the audience.