Social representation in Tamil Cinema: life of fisher folk and challenges

Abstract

Fishermen are known for their hard work. They have the mental strength along with the physical strength gathered from the struggles with nature each day. They are confident enough to face any hostility with courage. Particularly, many distinct features can be seen among the fisherfolk with literary and artistic appreciation. Tamil cinema has not failed to capture such fishing communities/fisherfolk. The fisherfolk and the challenges faced by them are structurally visualized in Tamil cinema as a theme, a story, and plot. The key intention of this research is to analyze how fisherfolk is portrayed in Tamil cinema. This study is intended to identify the dialect variation of fisherman/unique jargons of fisherman, distinct features of a fisherfolk as depicted in the Tamil films and to demonstrate the obstacles, the background of the challenges faced by them, and to find out the reasons for the portrayal of them in Tamil cinema and the solutions for them. Tamil films which reflect the particular society have been used as the primary data of this study and film criticisms, books, research books, articles, and research articles related to the theme of this study has been employed as secondary data. Comparative and Content analysis has been used to demonstrate the life of the fisherfolk and the challenges faced by them and Tamil films are occupied as a source for this study through Content analysis. These studies will help to understand the life of the fisher folk and indicate the way to find out the solutions for their challenges. These studies will be a pioneer to understand and analyze the concepts of Tamil cinema about fisherfolk.