Breaking Norms: Erotic Capital and Female Resistance in Select Malayalam Films
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48048/ajac.2027.184Keywords:
Erotic capital, Female resistance, Malayalam cinema, Patriarchy, GenderAbstract
This study explores the portrayal of women’s erotic capital as a tool of revenge and resistance in three selected Malayalam films: Kannezhuthi Pottum Thottu (1999), 22 Female Kottayam (2012), and Iyobinte Pusthakam (2014). This study aims to examine how the female protagonists in the selected texts use their erotic capital to fulfil their vengeance and assert agency. Expanding on Catherine Hakim’s theory of erotic capital and Audre Lorde’s perspective on the erotic as a source of power, this study examines how female protagonists strategically utilize their physical allure, psychological agency and social skills to challenge patriarchal oppression. Through content and discourse analyses, this study highlights the nuanced ways in which these characters assert their agency, dismantle systemic inequalities, and disrupt traditional gender roles. The films not only portray the duality of the female body as both a site of oppression and a tool of resistance, but also contribute to broader discussions on power, sexuality, and gender in Indian cinema. By framing these narratives within the socio-cultural context of Malayalam cinema, this study underscores the transformative potential of erotic capital as a means of female empowerment and resistance.
Highlights
• The study examines how the female protagonists in selected Malayalam films (Kannezhuthi Pottum Thottu (1999), 22 Female Kottayam (2012), and Iyobinte Pusthakam (2014) navigate their erotic capital as a means of vengeance.
• The study employs British sociologist Catherine Hakim’s theory of erotic capital, which provides a lens for analysing women’s strategic deployment of their sexual attractiveness in revenge narratives.
• The study situates Malayalam cinema within discussions on gender, sexuality, and female agency.
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