How Many More Rajakannus? Arrested By Caste, Beaten By Law Jai Bhim And The Fight For Justice
- IJLLR Journal
- Jul 4
- 1 min read
Misritha Arvapally, OP Jindal Global University
ABSTRACT
Jai Bhim (2021), a T.J. Gnanavel-directed Tamil film that earned an Oscar nomination, is more than a movie but also a reflection held in front of India's justice system's darkest angles. Adapted from a true 1993 habeas corpus case, the movie is about Rajakannu, an Irular tribal poor man, who is falsely accused of theft, tortured in police custody, and goes missing mysteriously afterward. His wife, Sengeni, pregnant and deemed powerless, chose not to be silent. Her search for justice leads her to Advocate K. Chandru, played with zeal by Suriya, whose legal battle exposes the callous participation of police officers, medical personnel, and officials.
This article sees Jai Bhim as more than just a film; it's a legal witness, a political critique, and a social awakening. It demonstrates how caste, poverty, and unrestrained authority contribute to a judicial system in which the law is influenced by identification rather than evidence. The analysis examines gendered violence, institutional desertion, and the breakdown of accountability when victims are tribal and Dalit bodies, citing constitutional guarantees like Article 21, Section 46(4) CrPC, and key verdicts such as D.K. Basu v. State of West Bengal.
Jai Bhim leaves us with a chilling reality that behind each police file labelled "missing" could be a name, a face, and a family still awaiting justice that may never arrive. The film's eerie narrative delivers not just a legal decision, but also a moral verdict. It is a call to recall, reckon, and most importantly, reform.
