Tamil Cinema Storytelling for Social Change and Resilience: A Comparative Study of Visaranai and Ayothi

Abstract

Tamil cinema has long served as a cultural platform for confronting social injustice and nurturing resilience. This study undertakes a comparative analysis of Visaranai (2015, dir. Vetrimaaran) and Ayothi (2023, dir. R. Manthira Moorthy), employing the frameworks of cinematic realism, visual semiotics, and non-verbal communication theory. Visaranai delivers a stark depiction of custodial violence and systemic corruption, while Ayothi highlights compassion that transcends religious and linguistic divides. Through qualitative textual analysis, the research examines how mise-en-scène, dialogue, cinematography, and symbolic imagery convey ethical critique and elicit empathy. The findings suggest that Visaranai evokes resilience by exposing structural oppression, whereas Ayothi portrays resilience as rooted in humanitarian solidarity. Collectively, the films demonstrate Tamil cinema’s power to integrate aesthetic expression with moral discourse, affirming storytelling as a catalyst for social change.