https://doi.org/10.67147/literariness.v1i2.012
Remembering ‘Differently’: Amnesia and the Female Body in South Indian Cinema
Hefziba Susan Jojo
Research Scholar
Department of English
St. Xavier’s College for Women (Autonomous), Aluva, Kerala
Abstract: As a recurring trope in Indian Cinema, amnesia is more than a psychological condition; it functions as a cinematic device that allows filmmakers to navigate the waters of memory, identity, and agency. Though the representation of amnesia in Hollywood movies, with a special focus on the questions of authenticity and medical accuracy, is analysed, the portrayal of amnesia, especially in South Indian cinema is yet to be explored. This paper identifies amnesia as a site where body image, cultural norms, and power is negotiated. The representation of memory loss is specifically taken for study, given its centrality in disciplines like Disability studies and Medical Humanities. The study closely observes the construction of amnesia and related cognitive impairments like memory loss, and the way in which it is differently experienced by male and female characters. Despite the fact that the representation of amnesia deviate significantly from established medical knowledge, the study places amnesia within the broader discourse on gender and subjectivity. The analysis brings to light the fact that the treatment of the illness is not purely on medical grounds but is rather aligned with the cultural expectations on how gender roles are performed. The research reveals an asymmetry in the portrayal of the recovery narratives. While amnesia grants agency to male characters, female amnesiacs reinforce the tropes of vulnerability. In most of the movies chosen for analysis, male characters typically embark on an active journey of self-recovery, while female recovery is a passive act, which is often mediated by the characters around them. The research will be based on a qualitative analysis of the mainstream South Indian commercial movies, which will be situated within the field of medical humanities, Feminist film theory, and psychoanalytic framework. The representation of the male and female bodies onscreen is evaluated, to look at how the female body is presented in such a manner it evokes pity and grief and intensifies melodrama. The male body, on the other hand, is aligned with action, agency, and heroic recovery. Through a thorough examination of the data, the study aims to uncover certain recurring narrative patterns across the chosen movies, thereby contributing to the larger discourse on women and illness.
Keywords: Amnesia, South Indian Cinema, Gender, Memory, Identity, Agency, Female Body