Portrayal of Menstruation and Womanhood in ‘Ayali’ Tamil Web Series

The study on the “Portrayal of Menstruation and Womanhood in ‘Ayali’ Tamil Web Series” is a qualitative content analysis of the 2023 Tamil web series Ayali directed and produced by Muthukumar. Ayali focuses on the patriarchal characteristics of Tamil society in particular and Indian society in general. The plot centres on Tamizhselvi, a young teenage girl who rebels against the dreadful traditions and practices that had been oppressing women in Veerappannai village in Pudukkottai for 500 years in order to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor. The eight-episode series starts with an animated segment that narrates the evolution of Veerapannai. According to traditions, the locals suffered the wrath of their deity (Ayali) after a young girl from the village of Pannaiyur eloped with a man from a nearby village. Consequently, the entire community moved to a new location in Pudukottai district that eventually became known as Veerapannai. A temple for Ayali was constructed in the new village and girls were married as soon as they reached puberty. Girls on reaching puberty are no longer permitted to attend school. They have to sacrifice their education and beliefs, and get married. The males of the hamlet and political leadership blindly adhere to maintaining the caste purity. The web series revolves around the struggles of Tamizhselvi against this tradition. The study intends to analyse the series on the basis of three objectives. The prime objective is to explore the depiction of menstruation in Ayali, and the implications of this depiction on the societal attitude towards menstruation. Secondly, the researcher will analyse the portrayal of gender roles in Ayali. Thirdly, the study will analyse the socioeconomic positioning of female characters in Ayali. Feminist media theory and cultivation theory will form the theoretical foundation of the study.

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