Meet this educator turned Dalit activist, who penned a song in Paluva language in 'The Great Indian Kitchen'

A scriptless language is popularly spoken by the Dalit Paraya caste, the song was penned by former educator and activist Mruduladevi S
Mruduladevi S
Mruduladevi S

Apart from smashing patriarchal norms and gender roles, there are a few more aspects for which the Kerala society will remember the film 'The Great Indian Kitchen'. For perhaps the first time in history, a mainstream film in Malayalam featured a song in the Paluva language. A scriptless language is popularly spoken by the Dalit Paraya caste, the song was penned by former educator and activist Mruduladevi S.

Mruduladevi tells us how her entry into films was quite serendipitous. "The language was spoken by my forefathers and it is a tribute to them. I had written it years ago and has posted it on my Facebook wall and the film's director Jeo Baby happened to glance at it. He asked me if I could write it as a song for his next film and I was immediately on board," she says. She adds how the film's theme got her even more excited about the project.

"Writing in this language is part of my politics. As a Dalit woman, I also consider myself privileged to enter the Malayalam film world, which once ostracised another Dalit woman P K Rosy, for playing the role of an upper-caste woman," she says.

The song, titled' Oru Kudam' was an instant hit. It was acclaimed by many, including poets and Mruduladevi is thrilled. "There is also another song in this film that a Dalit woman sings, describing a woman's beauty or the lack of it. I hadn't written it for this film particularly. However it somehow blended well with the situation," says Mruduladevi, who is also the editor of a Magazine 'Padhabhedam'.

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