Disparities in depictions

As the festival of lights celebrates the triumph of goodness over evil, there is a need to construe how colourism is an ingrained part in the portrayal of such binaries in mythological stories

- DIYA MARIA GEORGE

Seeing the fierce battle between Rama and Tataka, the grey-haired sage Vishwamitra, believed that it was impossible for anyone other than Rama to defeat this 'demoness'. This belief has seeped onto pages of Rama (Amar Chitra Katha), too. It continues to portray the valour of Rama. The numerous retellings of epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata provide multiple perspectives stemming from various ideologies.

As Dr K Ayyappa Paniker suggests in Indian Narratology, "This flexibility of narrative details ensures the anonymity of the author. Anyone can produce his own version and fancy his own authorial privilege."

This 'authorial privilege' can, however, extend to shades of discrimination. Have you ever wondered why Rama is shown in a lighter blue shade? In the background, we see Tataka whose character design diverges from the protagonist. She has greenish-blue skin, messy, wild hair, and a muscular build - contradicting the portrayal of beauty and femininity with loud expressions.

Exposure to stereotypes

"The Indian practice of communicating with colour, corresponding to the emotional state, gives white the properties of goodness, as it is described by a caste of priests (Brahmins). This has stayed the unchanged tradition for centuries", writes Carl Olson in The Many Colors of Hinduism: A Thematic-historical Introduction. "The representation in animated movies like Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama, Ramayan The King Of Kings, or cartoons like Chhota Bheem, the same stereotypes continue."