Why does the Dalit marriage of ‘Made in Heaven’ raise important questions?

arun Posted On August 24, 2023

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Writer Bikash Mishra’s in-depth look at the much talked about fifth episode of ‘Made in Heaven 2’.

Bikash Mishra,

New Delhi: With the much-hyped fifth episode of ‘Made in Heaven 2’, Neeraj Ghaywan redefines the discussion on caste in mainstream Hindi filmmaking. While many films have been made on the subject of caste prejudices in the last decade, almost all of them look at caste as a system of discrimination and find a glimmer of hope in the mirage of modernity and a casteless society.

The episode is radical as it questions the idea of a casteless society, as it demands to follow upper caste norms and erase the Dalit past. It calls for the revival of history, instead of advocating for Dalits to forget their past and join the mainstream.

Neeraj Ghayvan has consistently made films on Dalit themes, and with his career, the discourse on Dalit issues has also evolved. A journey of this subject can also be seen along with his cinematic journey.

Ghaywan’s debut film Masaan (2015) traces the journey of a Dalit boy and an upper caste girl. Both escape an oppressive society that thrives on ideas of caste and honor. His employment in the railways, the vehicle of modernity, brings him to the city of Sangam, Allahabad (now Prayagraj), and the film ends on a good note where caste seems to be irrelevant as none of the characters pursue caste-based occupations. As the migrant workers of modernity, they are in the same boat.

Masaan’s ending sounds good because it believes that once people from different castes find employment in modern workplaces like the railways, caste-based prejudices will disappear.

Ghayvan revisits this notion in his short film ‘Gili Puchchi (Part of the 2021 Netflix anthology Ajeeb Dastaan)’. Here two women work in a modern factory, but still the Dalit woman faces discrimination when it comes to career advancement. Although the film intricately tells the stories of the central characters, Ghevan tests his earlier assumptions here and introduces a new discovery. As long as the upper castes have the means of production, Dalit workers will continue to face discrimination until they learn the wisdom of the upper castes.

The much talked about fifth episode of Made in Heaven 2 takes us into the future and examines the notion created by Masaan, only the genders are reversed, and the class distinctions are reduced.

In the casteless society of America, a Dalit woman and an upper caste man fall in love and decide to get married. So far, so good, because there are no raised eyebrows from the parents, no escapes or honor killings. As long as the marriage ceremony is not discussed, everything goes on without any hindrance.

The Dalit girl does not want to marry according to Brahminical customs and the man has no objection to this, but her family has objection. They want a brief ceremony of Phere after the registration of marriage. When the girl insists that she wants to marry a Dalit Buddhist after the pheras, the family tries several tricks to get her to give up this thought. Worse, her would-be groom fails to empathize with her. The episode ends with the upper caste man realizing the hidden prejudices of his family against the girl’s claim of his identity. And finally, Ghevan shows us what a Dalit marriage can look like.

This episode re-examines some of the assumptions on which Masaan ends. Does caste still matter in a casteless society? The answer that Masan gives is: ‘Maybe.’ But, Ghevan modified the answer in the episode and said, ‘Yes, caste still matters when it comes to marriage rituals, if not marriage.’

The question of equality is also being reconsidered. Will caste not matter if people take up modern professions? And, when the economic class gap narrows?

The answer this episode gives is very different from Masaan. Episode 5 is politically more complex as it shows the kind of problems beset slogans like bringing Dalits into the mainstream. This means acceptance only as long as the Dalits continue to deny their past and follow the rules of the upper castes. However, when a Dalit man asserts his identity and seeks to celebrate his heritage, it makes upper caste families uncomfortable.

The episode is significant because it heralds a significant shift in Dalit discourse in mainstream Hindi filmmaking, from the depiction of oppression to the assertion of identity. However, there is one special thing in this episode which it captures very beautifully.

The bride-to-be unapologetically asserts her Dalit identity, her family, especially her younger brother, holds it against her. Why? He says that he would not like to be known as a ‘quota student’ in his college. So, this claim is a path fraught with risks, as it is for a brother in a caste-ridden society like India.

With this episode, Ghewan broke with the mainstream myth and defied the idea of cultural subordination. Instead of gaining entry into the mainstream by accepting Brahmanical rituals, Ghevan advocates the need for new symbols and new rituals. And, who better than Buddha and Ambedkar for this?

While Ghayvan and the show’s writers Alankrita Srivastava, Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti and additional writer Rahul Nair deserve credit for redefining Dalit discourse into the mainstream, it is somewhat sad that Yashika Dutt (Coming Out as a Dalit: A Memoir) the creators half-heartedly said that a part of the Dalit girl’s character was based on her, after she demanded credit in the episode. Doesn’t it seem strange that Ghewan had already acknowledged her as an inspiration for the character (specifically the interview scene) on Instagram before posting a rebuttal to his demand. One would expect more grace and empathy from the creators of a show that successfully tackles issues of discrimination. Would it have hurt to acknowledge his contribution on screen if he had already done so on social media? Ironically, this powerful episode on Dalits being denied their identity is accused of denying screen credit to a Dalit writer.