Representations of Gothic and Spectral Identities in the Global South: A Study of Manichitrathazhu and its Adaptations

Sethulakshmi Subhash; Rukmini S

doi:10.5195/cinej.2025.755

Representations of Gothic and Spectral Identities in the Global South: A Study of Manichitrathazhu and its Adaptations

Authors

Sethulakshmi Subhash Vellore Institute of Technology https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1813-8393
Rukmini S Vellore Institute of Technology https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8414-3145

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/cinej.2025.755

Keywords:

spectral identities, Indian gothic, film adaptations, alternate gothic, European gothic, South Asian gothic

Abstract

Gothic as a genre in literature took its form in Europe but has existed within and outside Europe in various forms and formats. In nations like India, the colonial impact has influenced the way one imagines the supernatural and the uncanny. This paper studies the evolution of an ‘alternate gothic’ in the movies from India, focusing on the Malayalam movie Manichithrathazhu (1993) and its Tamil, Kannada, and Hindi adaptations. The paper examines how each version incorporates the regional culture, rituals, and social norms of the respective linguistic and geographic setting, thereby creating an ‘alternate gothic’ unique to the subcontinent. Through this lens, the film is read as an act of cultural negotiation, where local myths and social structures are embedded within a colonial framework of reason.

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Published

2025-12-03

How to Cite

Subhash, S., & S, R. (2025). Representations of Gothic and Spectral Identities in the Global South: A Study of Manichitrathazhu and its Adaptations. CINEJ Cinema Journal, 13(2), 581–614. https://doi.org/10.5195/cinej.2025.755

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Vol. 13 No. 2 (2025): Fall

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Articles

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