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Movie Review: Jai Bheem

Gagan Chinthagumpala

Flame University

PSYC 309-Community Psychology

Prof. Mrudila Apte

27th January 2022

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Introduction:

Jai Bhim (Gnanvel, 2021) is an Indian Tamil language film that is a timely critique of the

state's authority and power over indigenous and marginalised communities and India's

constitution's fundamental ideals. The movie is based on the Irular tribes' lived experiences in

Tamil Nadu's Villupuram region, and it shows the state's history of atrocities against tribal

communities. It is based on an actual event of custodial abuse and murder against three members

of the Irular tribe, and it follows Justice K Chandru's court battle in Tamil Nadu in 1993.

The movie's plot centres around the lives of Sengani (Lijomol Jose) and her husband

Rajakannu (Manikandan), who work as snake catchers and occasionally labour on landowners'

fields to supplement their income. However, their joy is short-lived as the police start looking for

Rajakannu in connection with a theft. Rajakannu has become the major suspect for the theft

simply because he was the one who went to the house where the robbery occurred that day to

capture a snake. When the police are unable to locate him, they arrest the pregnant Sengani and a

few other males from the clan, including Rajakannu's brother Irutappan. Sengani is ultimately

released despite being beaten and kicked many times, but Rajakannu and a number of others are

not spared the horrible violence unleashed by the guys in khaki. Following the bogus theft

allegation, Rajakannu's abduction, and the police's attempts to conceal the case, Sengani visits

Advocate Chandru (Suriya) and files a Habeas Corpus petition, launching her legal struggle for

justice.
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Review of the movie and critical analysis:

The first core value that can be related to the movie is Procedural justice. In the opening

scene of the movie Jai Bhim, it can be seen that many inmates are being released from prison and

a few officers from the nearby police stations standing around. Each prisoner is asked for his

caste as he is led out. They are asked to leave if they mention the name of a dominating caste.

Those who belong to a scheduled caste or tribe, on the other hand, are instructed to stand in a

corner, only to be picked up as suspects in the numerous unresolved crimes at their station by

waiting officers. When some police officers grumble that these prisoners aren't enough to go

cover all the pending cases, they're told that they may charge a few people with several crimes.

In another scene, a group of tribal men meet with a police officer. One man informs him

that he was previously detained by cops simply for greeting them. A lady describes how her

husband was compelled to 'confess' to a crime he did not commit when officers began assaulting

her. A little child describes how the cops pulled him up just because they couldn't find his father

and how that one episode turned him into a perpetual suspect at school. With moments like this,

Jai Bhim eloquently conveys the brutality and humiliation thrown on the impoverished by those

in authority, as well as the type of resistance required to obtain justice for them. Along with these

scenes, the movie's main plot deals with the brutal methodology used by the police and the

corrupted system within the police to investigate Rajakannu's case.

Procedural justice refers to decision-making procedures that are fair, transparent,

inclusive, respectful, and participatory. Procedural justice focuses on the process and the desire

for communal decision-making techniques to include citizens' equitable representation, voice,

and authority (Dalton, Elias, & Wandersman, 2006; Miller, 1999; Prilleltensky, 2012). Beyond
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the usual focus on resource allocation, the emphasis is on the relevance of procedural fairness as

a vehicle for increasing collaboration and empowerment (Evans, 2014).

With respect to the scenes in the movie, Procedural justice examines how police and

other legal authorities engage with the public and how such interactions impact the people's

perceptions of the police, desire to obey the law, and actual crime rates. Thus, community views

of procedural justice can significantly influence public safety. Procedural justice is founded on

four basic principles: "treating individuals with dignity and respect, providing citizens a "voice"

during interactions, remaining impartial in decision making, and transmitting trustworthy

reasons" (Mazerolle et al., 2013). These principles contribute to relationships between authorities

in three ways. First, the community trusts and believes the police are honest, unbiased,

benevolent, and lawful. Second, the community feels obligated to follow the law and the dictates

of legal authorities and third, the community believes it shares common interests and values with

the police.

The second concept which can be viewed in this movie is Empowerment and citizen

participation. When those who do not have an equitable share of resources get increased access

to and influence over those resources, this is referred to as empowerment. According to

community psychology, empowerment is a communal process of acquiring more control over

one's life via critical thinking, caring for others, and mutual respect, rather than a sensation or

something done alone (Kloos et al., 2021). It is a process that evolves through time and changes

depending on the circumstance. At the same time, citizen participation refers to participation in

communal decision-making. It might be a means of making judgments or a value about how to

make decisions (Kloos et al., 2021).

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Despite being one of the country's oldest groups, the Irula tribes have no proof that they

are citizens and cannot even purchase a piece of property. Portraying and promoting the core

value of Empowerment and citizen participation in the movie, Mythra (Rajisha Vijayan), an adult

literacy instructor, tries to obtain the Irula community a voter id. During that conversation, the

local big shot, who belongs to a dominant caste, retorts, "Isn't it enough to ask the lower castes to

vote for us? Should we also go to these people's (Irula community) houses?". This scene clearly

depicts the violation of the core values of community psychology, Empowerment and citizen

participation, where the Irula community members are denied from participating in the

decision-making process (voting).

Another core value that can be identified in the movie is the sense of community. A

sense of community is defined by McMillan and Chavis (1986) as "a sense that members have of

belonging, a sense that members matter to one another and to the community, and a shared faith

that members' needs will be addressed via their commitment to being together."

This core value can be seen in different instances in the movie. The first instance is when

the Rajakannu, along with his members, goes to an officer to beg the officer to give a Scheduled

Tribe caste certificate to a boy of his Irula community. This certificate will provide an

opportunity for the boy to study in a school or pursue higher studies by going to a college.

During the conversation, he says, "The boy no longer wants to live as a snake catcher, and if

young boys like these pursue education, they will stand as an inspiration for others members in

the community as well. In another scene, When Rajakannu is suffering from the pangs of the

officers, his brother advises that if they lie and accept the crime in order to be free for some time.

This may be the simplest solution for Rajakannu to stop suffering. But, as he belongs to the Irula

community with a sense of belonging, Rajakannu cautions his brother that while the wounds will
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heal, the false mark as thieves on their Irula community will prove to be true and will last

forever.

A small glimpse of another core value can be seen in the movie, the respect for human

diversity. This core value is portrayed throughout the movie in the form of the movie's

protagonist, Advocate K Chandru. Throughout the movie, Chandru's ability to live with diverse

people and appreciate the diversity of society and culture can be seen.

Conclusion:

To conclude, it can be seen that Jai Bhim is a window into the Irular community's

problems and the flaws in India's democratic political system, and it raises many fundamental

concerns about the rule of law, police impunity, and human rights violations. Subsequently, four

core values of community psychology have been related to the movie. Firstly, procedural justice,

many instances in the movie, brought out the brutal methodology and unfair decision-making

process used to investigate the people of the Irula community. Also, the contribution of

principles of procedural justice towards the relationship between the people of a community and

the police has been discussed. The second core value, Empowerment and citizenship

participation, has been reflected through Mythra, an adult literacy instructor and a scene in the

movie, which shows that local big shots in the movie are trying to stop the members of the Irula

community from Empowerment and citizen participation. Another core value, a sense of

community, is evident throughout the movie in the form of the Rajakannu, where he chooses to

suffer for the wellness of his Irual community with a sense of belongingness rather than choosing

an easy way out for his own benefit. Finally, the respect for human diversity is portrayed by

Advocate Chandru through his behaviour towards different people belonging to different

communities.
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References:

Evans, S. (2014, May 30). Community Psychology and social justice. Praeger Handbook of

Social Justice and Psychology. Retrieved January 26, 2022, from

https://www.academia.edu/6706030/Community_Psychology_and_Social_Justice#:~:text

=Whereas%20distributive%20justice%20keeps%20the,1999%3B%20Prilleltensky%2C

%202012)

Jai Bhim. (2021). Prime Video. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from

https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0SWGQNS7I3QUVSVKQE0V3Q0O2V/ref=atv_dp

_share_cu_r.

Kaintura, M. (2021, November 8). Jai Bhim film review: Powerful yet a 'voice for the voiceless'

narrative. Feminism In India. Retrieved January 26, 2022, from

https://feminisminindia.com/2021/11/08/jai-bhim-film-review-powerful-yet-a-voice-for-t

he-voiceless-narrative/

Kloos, B., Hill, J., Thomas, E., Case, A. D., Scott, V. C., & Wandersman, A. (2021). Community

psychology: Linking individuals and communities. American Psychological Association.

Mazerolle, L., Bennett, S., Davis, J., Sargeant, E., & Manning, M. (2013, January 2). Legitimacy

in policing: A systematic review. Wiley Online Library. Retrieved January 26, 2022, from

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.4073/csr.2013.1