Page - 35 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 07/02

Validating Demons | 35www.jrfm.eu 2021, 7/2, 31–53 and for rejection of the myth of the glorious Aryan invaders.12 E. V. Ramasami (1879–1973), an important non-Brahmin leader, organized a movement to pro- mote respect for Dravidian values and lower castes. He was a prolific writer of short vitriolic essays to convey his radical political messages, thus gaining attention for his strong criticism of the dominant worldview of the Rāmāyaṇa and its Brahmanical values.13 The brief printed texts spread amongst the mass- es. As Paula Richman discusses, Ramasami published an exegesis of the epic in which he wanted to demythologize Rāma and Sītā and turn Rāvaṇa into a hero. He accused Rāma of improper behavior (treating his wife badly, killing a śūdra and attacking Vāli from behind). Rāvaṇa, by contrast, protected his family, acted courageously, and did not touch Sītā, whereas his sister was mu- tilated. He abducted Sītā not as the result of lust but rather as honorable retal- iation, and he neither disfigured her nor forced himself upon her. The respect for Sītā was one of the arguments in favor of Rāvaṇa.14 This critique articulated dynamics between geographical areas, caste differences, and gender roles. Southerners were keen on looking at Rāvaṇa and the demons in a more empathetic fashion. In the Tamil milieu, Rāvaṇa was not a straightforward villain, but a complex tragic hero with many contradictions – harsh and kind at the same time.15 This notion of the “tragic hero” has been used by several scholars to describe Rāvaṇa. As Clifford Hospital points out, this term is not an Indian category, yet it is present in Rāvaṇa’s story in two senses: first, in the inability of the character to deal with a prescribed destiny, and second, as a flaw, in an otherwise good person falling in love with Sītā.16 Rāvaṇa, his family, and the kingdom of Lanka were admired by Southerners who looked at the antagonists with sympathy. Rāmāyaṇa on the Screen There is a complex history of re-creation of the Rāmāyaṇa that includes de- votional films and loose adaptations. Movies and texts have been intercon- nected across cultures and languages in South Asia in a non-linear fashion. 12 Krishnamurthy 2011, 119. 13 Ganagatharam 2002, 884–885. 14 Richman 1991, 186. 15 Zvelebil 1988, 134. 16 Hospital 1991, 101.