Rediscovering Vaanam: How a contemporary festival in Tamil Nadu celebrates Dalit History Month

For four Aprils now, as Chennai’s summer breeze sets in, Prasad Lab has brimmed with film enthusiasts waiting to watch what the PK Rosy Film Festival has to offer. The slate, full of world cinema particularly fitting the resistance genre, has not just made for compelling viewing. It has ensured space for a genuine attempt at furthering intellectual conversation, particularly about political and marginalised movements.

Over the years, this festival, part of Neelam Cultural Centre’s Vaanam, a Dalit History Month celebration commemorating BR Ambedkar, has seen cinephiles packing crowds, and even sitting on the floor of cinema halls to watch what the festival has to offer.