Antar Bhaasha

‘Antar Bhaasha’ focuses on the phenomenon of caste and how it operates in various ways in an urban setting. Though not explicitly seen, through everyday relationships, it subtly operates through mechanisms like language. Although language seems like a natural or neutral phenomenon, one must realize its political nature. Through this film, we’re attempting to delve deeper into the phenomenon of caste as operationalized within language, with respect to Marathi (as it is spoken in Mumbai), through its dialects.

It’s an attempt to raise certain questions, like the notion of pure and impure Marathi, and who holds power because of their access to ‘pure’ Marathi. We will also look at how a particular dialect becomes a marker for one’s caste and leads to exclusion and/or discrimination at various levels. In an urban space, it is critical to look at the affect that the compulsion of unlearning one’s caste dialect has, since it is not only about reworking one’s vocabulary and individual habits, but also leads to an erasure of memory and association with one’s community

Director

Antar Bhaasha