Page - 45 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 07/02

Validating Demons | 45www.jrfm.eu 2021, 7/2, 31–53 groups, it does portray a difficult relationship with the police. The social issues that Raavan (2010) highlights are like those of the Naxalite move- ment.46 The state repression and attacks of the Naxalite groups have led to tremendous violence. The socio-economic gap is profound in southern and western states such as Andhra Pradesh, where the Naxalites are strong in the pristine hills and forest areas.47 The oppression and injustice experienced by the communities of the forest are represented in Ratnam’s work. The connection between fiction and reality is tenuous, but there is an acknowl- edgement, even if not extensive, of these issues in the film. In addition, the violence between the ādivāsī groups and the police is graphic and likewise suggested through song lyrics. The film portrays the police’s lack of commitment to moral principles and lasting projects in com- plicated regions. After Dev finds out that one of his subordinate policemen is loyal to Bīrā, he is reminded that his job as Superintendent in Laal Mati is only for six months. Dev’s posting in the remote area will soon be over, but the men in the lower ranks remain for life and face the dilemma of either maintaining the law or breaking it. In this context, corruption is extremely common, as the policemen are not held accountable for their transgres- sions, such as raping women. Thus Ratnam’s adaptation highlights the com- plex contemporary reality in which law and crime are intertwined. When Dev comes to the jungle, Bīrā has the opportunity to kill him, but for the sake of Rāginī he does not do so, and he lets her go back to her hus- band. In the end, Bīrā’s love for her is greater than anything else and he has no other romantic partner in his life. By contrast, in the Rāmāyaṇa, Rāvaṇa, as the other, is hypersexualized: traditionally, he has three wives and his palace is conceived as illuminated by beautiful women.48 However, Rāma just has Sītā. In Ratnam’s adaptation, Bīrā conforms to monogamous ideals and his relationships with other females are ignored. Hence, Bīrā’s redemp- tion is his love for Rāginī, as his sexual behavior is no different from Rāma’s. The enmity of Bīrā and Dev goes beyond the capture of Rāginī; Dev has been obsessed with hunting down Bīrā. When Dev and Rāginī return home from the forest, he wants to know if Bīrā touched her. She says he did not, and Dev tells her that she needs to pass a lie-detector test. In some versions 46 The term “Naxalite” is broad and refers to a variety of non-unified movements calling for justice in deprived regions. 47 Gupta 2007, 178. 48 Vālmīki V.7.1–7. All Vālmīki references are taken from Goswami 1969, the vulgate edited by Chimmanlal Goswami.