Persona, Shadow, and Mise-en-Scène in Dileesh Pothan’s Joji (2021): A Jungian Analysis of Psychic Metamorphosis

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/cinej.2026.746

Keywords:

Joji (2021), Dileesh Pothan, Malayalam cinema, Jungian film analysis, persona and shadow, mise-en-scène, Macbeth adaptation, psychological transformation, individuation

Abstract

Dileesh Pothan’s Malayalam film Joji (2021) is a Macbeth-inspired psychological drama that examines complex human predicaments and relationships unfolding in a tense Christian household in rural Kottayam, Kerala. This paper critically examines the conflict between the projected image and the instinctual urges of the protagonist Joji and delineates it using Carl Jung’s conceptualization of persona and shadow. The paper makes a nuanced reading of the physical and psychological landscapes of the film while analyzing the transformation of Joji from a lazy college dropout to a conniving killer. The paper further scrutinizes the visual grammar of the film through a detailed analysis of the mise-en-scène, which facilitates and orchestrates Joji’s psychic metamorphosis on screen.

Author Biographies

Shirin Shahana B V, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University

Ms. Shirin Shahana is a doctoral student at the department of English & Humanities at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, India.

Nandhini I, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University

Dr. Nandhini I is an Assistant Professor at the department of English & Humanities at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham.

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Published

2026-10-15

How to Cite

Villyalath, S., Shahana B V, S., & I, N. (2026). Persona, Shadow, and Mise-en-Scène in Dileesh Pothan’s Joji (2021): A Jungian Analysis of Psychic Metamorphosis. CINEJ Cinema Journal, 14(2), 84–122. https://doi.org/10.5195/cinej.2026.746

Issue

Vol. 14 No. 2 (2026): Fall

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Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Sandhya Villyalath, Shirin Shahana B V, Nandhini I

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