“The Discreet Charms of the Savarnas” (2020) by Rajesh Rajamani

Three Savarna, or ‘upper’ caste, filmmakers look for a “Dalit” to act in their movie.

‘The Discreet Charm of the Savarnas’ is surprising in its candid and sincere representation of the ‘upper-caste’ reality. It follows three ‘upper caste’ filmmakers on their desperate search for an actor who “looks Dalit”. The film is neatly structured into chapters, which reveal a narrative filled with misadventures and comic ironies. The three characters wear their intellects and ‘wokeness’ on their sleeves while effortlessly jumping over blind spots in their political correctness.

The film entertains just as much as it nudges one to reflect on ideas of perception and representation. One could argue that image-makers, be it film or other visual media, often stick with established modes of representation to simply ideas and meet the expectations of their audience. But does that mean that the stories we tell will forever stay stuck in this vicious circle of stereotypes? ‘The Discreet Charm of the Savarnas’ offers no solutions but plenty of food for thought.