Actor Suriya’s legal drama Jai Bhim, which premiered on Over-the-Top (OTT) platform Amazon Prime Video in November last year, has now made its way to the official YouTube channel of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Oscars channel featured the film under its ‘Scene At the Academy’ segment, which according to its website, focuses on the making of any film and the breakdown of important scenes from it. The video on Jai Bhim released on Tuesday, January 18.
The close to 13 minute-long video clip begins with Jai Bhim’s opening sequence. It then shows director TJ Gnanavel explaining the theme of the film, followed by clips of important scenes. In the video, Gnanavel says, "The opening scene of the film shows the police segregating tribal people on the basis of caste. You could call it the film's theme. How easily a powerful system can brand the oppressed as habitual offenders on the basis of caste. When a privileged person is in trouble, their whole community shows up to fight. But for minorities like tribal people? They have no hope or scope,” he says.
He further says in the video, “It is said that racism is the worst kind of discrimination worldwide. But casteism has several layers of discrimination built into it. If racism is like a spring which swirls up, those in the bottom can eventually fight their way to the top. But casteism is hierarchical. You can't move up or forward. One caste will stop you. If you make it past them, another will get you.”
He adds that Jai Bhim does not discuss custodial violence alone, but also shows how the caste hierarchy forms the basis of custodial discrimination. The director also explains how a few other scenes were crafted in the film.
Watch ‘Scene at the Academy’ featuring Jai Bhim:
Many social media users have been praising Jai Bhim and congratulating the makers for being featured in the YouTube channel. Actor Suriya’s home banner 2D Entertainment which bankrolled the project, wrote “An honour of the highest order! #JaiBhim has been featured in the official YouTube channel of @TheAcademy #SceneAtTheAcademy.”
The critically acclaimed film Jai Bhim, apart from Suriya, starred actors Prakash Raj, Rajisha Vijayan, Manikandan, Lijo Mol Jose and Rao Ramesh, among others in pivotal roles.
(With IANS inputs)