The films Puzhu (2022) and Vala (2025), scripted by Malayalam screenwriter Harshad, foreground two constitutive tendencies of Savarna ideology in India: skepticism and abduction. Together, these films expose how Brahmanical hegemony sustains itself by criminalizing the subaltern through suspicion while simultaneously appropriating and erasing their culture, history, and dignity.

"Kuttan is not merely an individual character but a representation of the Brahmanical “deep state.” His paranoia exemplifies how dominant power structures justify incarceration, riots, genocides, and political silencing on the mere basis of suspicion."

In Puzhu, Kuttan, played by Mammootty, is portrayed as a man perpetually consumed by suspicion. His life is dominated by paranoia, the conviction that someone is conspiring to attack or kill him. This skepticism is not random but consistently directed toward individuals from lower castes or minority communities. In such instances, Kuttan responds with hostility and violence, often without any evidence of wrongdoing. His suspicion therefore functions as an allegory of Brahmanical consciousness itself.

Harshad

Brahmanical ideology, by its very structure, is exclusionary and oppressive. Because of this, it is always shadowed by the possibility of resistance from oppressed communities seeking dignity and freedom. This anticipation of retaliation keeps the hegemonic class in a state of constant vigilance, where suspicion becomes the ground for repression. Within this framework, Kuttan is not merely an individual character but a representation of the Brahmanical “deep state.” His paranoia exemplifies how dominant power structures justify incarceration, riots, genocides, and political silencing on the mere basis of suspicion. Harshad’s film thus dramatizes the skeptical tendency of Brahmanism as a systemic condition.

"The bangle’s historical journey allegorizes how power has been repeatedly seized through conquest, appropriation, and erasure, rather than entrusted to those most capable or deserving."

If Puzhu articulates the logic of skepticism, Vala illuminates the parallel logic of abduction. From its opening voice-over, the film establishes the central metaphor of a centuries-old bangle. Originally created as a gift to be awarded for achievement, the bangle becomes a symbol of power, dignity, and recognition. Wars are fought over it; generations and communities in Kerala come into conflict over its possession. The bangle’s historical journey allegorizes how power has been repeatedly seized through conquest, appropriation, and erasure, rather than entrusted to those most capable or deserving.

The narrative traces the bangle’s trajectory: gifted by the Abbasid Caliph to Abbas Ibn Firnas, the pioneering figure of early flight in the ninth century; later given to Supy, a Malayali migrant chef in the Gulf, as recognition of his culinary talent; passed on to Supy’s partner in Kerala; and finally stolen during a riot resembling the Nadapuram violence in Malabar. From there, the bangle enters the possession of Sarala, a Savarna woman, stripped of its original significance and context.

The symbolism is clear. The bangle represents not only material wealth but also cultural memory and dignity. Its theft dramatizes the abduction that characterizes Brahmanical dominance: the seizure of Muslim property, the appropriation of their history, and the erasure of their contributions. Historical parallels abound—the rewriting of Mughal history, the demolition of the Babri Masjid, and the looting of Muslim homes during riots—all pointing to the same tendency of appropriation and erasure.

The relation between Puzhu and Vala reveals a dialectical structure. Abduction was the historical foundation of Brahmanism: by appropriating the cultural and material resources of others, it consolidated itself as a hegemonic order. Once in power, however, it became skeptical, haunted by the possibility of resistance from the oppressed. This paranoia, in turn, justified further acts of violence: riots, massacres, genocides, and the silencing of dissent. Harshad’s films expose this cycle in which abduction sustains hegemony and skepticism ensures its violent preservation.

"In the current Indian context, where abduction and suspicion by dominant groups are at their peak, these films acquire an urgent relevance."

What makes Harshad’s intervention significant is his narrative method. Rather than presenting ideology in abstract terms, he embodies it in the psychology of a character or the history of an object. In Puzhu, the paranoid subject allegorizes an entire system. In Vala, a single bangle becomes the vessel of centuries of appropriation and violence. This technique produces layered readings: while audiences remain engaged with the suspense of individual characters and objects, the films simultaneously invite a deeper political interpretation. Harshad thus achieves a rare synthesis of narrative tension and ideological critique.

Babari masjid

In the current Indian context, where abduction and suspicion by dominant groups are at their peak, these films acquire an urgent relevance. They uncover the structural tendencies of Brahmanical ideology—the criminalization of subaltern life through suspicion and the erasure of minority dignity through appropriation. By dramatizing these processes in ways that are both intimate and metaphorical, Harshad challenges viewers to confront the persistence of caste and communal hegemony in everyday life. His films demonstrate how cinema, beyond mere storytelling, can operate as a critical lens on structures of power and as a tool for imagining resistance.