Intertextuality and the Imagery of the Concept of Alienation in TV Chandran’s Films “Danny” and “Padam Onnu Oru Vilapam’’ - A Semiotic Enquiry

The paper focuses on the imagery of the “Concept of Social Alienation “in internationally acclaimed Indian director, TV Chandran’s Films “Padam Onnu Oru Vilapam” (Malayalam, 2003) and Danny (Malayalam,2001). Semiological review of the films reveals that the director has adroitly used various form of Intertextuality to deepen the concept of alienation like constitutive Intertextuality, metatextuality, paratextuality, along with metonyms and historical allegories, to visualize the concept of political and social alienation of the protagonists, thereby highlighting the plight of marginalized societies in India. In this study, the researchers explore post structuralism approaches to decode the texts, and its significance of generating meaning in the textual system. This complex system with multitude of signs, text is seen not as a closed system of meanings, but a weaving of codes. Analyses also reveal that the director has attempted to record the parallel history of the historically (mainstream History) insignificant population in the country, and the usage of theatre technique “Distancing Effect” to bring effectiveness to the imagery of the “Concept of Alienation.”

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