MALE GAZE AND SPECTATORSHIP IN MEGHAM

Spectators engage with a movie by giving and taking meaning to it. They get involved in the story and look at the world within the film through the eyes of the camera. A film designed for the audience, progressing from a male perspective, undoubtedly subjects the female characters to the male gaze. This paper attempts to analyse how traditionalism is forced upon the spectators with the aid of the male gaze and the employment of limited screen time for women. It studies how the Malayalam movie Megham effectively presents Swathi as arrogant and incapable of leading a family life. The male spectators immediately agree with this view because the action is commanded by the hero.