Periyar Vision: OTT for an ideology

CHENNAI: Taking Periyar to newer generations is a quest the Dravida Kazhagam (DK) is historically acquainted with. And for this purpose, from the Kudi Arasu magazine in 1925, followed by the newspaper Viduthalai a decade after, then a website Periyar.org (1996), and later, a YouTube channel Periyar Webvision in 2007, the social justice movement birthed by the ‘Thanthai’ of Dravidian ideals has always employed various media of the masses.

It then comes as no surprise that the Kazhagam has now plunged into the OTT space to continue fomenting ideological and socio-political discourse.

Periyar Vision launched on July 21 in the centenary of the self-respect movement aims to be a portal leading viewers from across the globe to discover Periyar’s timeless ideals. Bankrolled by Liberty Creations who produced the films, Periyar (2007) and Puratchikaaran (2000), the truly one-of-a-kind OTT platform, streams audio of speeches, audiobooks, video books, documentaries, newspaper clippings, list of essential books to read, debates, movies, short films, and web series — all related to Periyar and social justice. The content presented in these formats largely covers the vast concepts and ideas Periyar introduced in his book Inivarum Ulagam, published in 1938, associated with subjects including politics, gender equality, feminism, caste, reservation, rationalism, education, and marriage.

Speaking about the genesis of (yet) another pioneering endeavour from the Dravida Kazhagam, co-proprietor of Periyar Vision, Prince Ennares Periyar, revealed that repeated obstacles in their mission are what led them to OTT. Recounting the two-year ban on Kudi Arasu, Viduthalai being fined lakhs in the 1950s, and the alleged censorship of their YouTube channel and Facebook page under the BJP regime at the Centre, Prince said, “Facing hurdles every single time we tried to reach out to people made us realise that moving to a platform that has no constraints was important. That, and the success of OTT platforms during the COVID-19 lockdown period made us kick-start this initiative… we’ve been working on Periyar Vision for around four years since 2020.”

Envisioning their OTT content as an alternative to the mega serials and religion-themed shows that dominate mainstream media, Prince stated that the platform would strive to take films and documentaries with progressive ideas to the public. Recalling the challenges RP Amudhan’s documentary, Shit, faced around 20 years ago, he said, “They intend to support such creators by not only offering a platform but also by producing their projects.”

“Periyar Vision also aspires to counter Hindutva ideology,” added R Mathiseelan, head of creative and executive producer, Periyar Vision.

“Although the OTT platform may not be commercially successful as content is being streamed for free and without ads, we’ll continue our efforts to take Periyar across the world,” emphasised Anburaj Veeramani, son of DK’s leader Veeramani and co-director of Liberty Creations.

Meanwhile, expressing confidence that the platform’s delayed start and other challenges wouldn’t discourage them, Prince said, “Greater the opposition, greater our efforts will be in combating the status quo," adding that DK’s president K Veeramani was also hopeful that the platform can grow to be a harbinger of social change.

In fact, the ‘anti-Periyarists’ could also aid in taking the OTT to a larger audience, he quipped.

Social justice content

The content isn’t just restricted to Periyar’s perspectives — the platform also showcases short videos of actors, public speakers, and writers expressing their views on the ideologue and social issues. The site has separate sections for content on BR Ambedkar, Kalaignar M Karunanidhi, and CN Annadurai.

“Our content would be inclusive of all rights issues including those involving trans and queer people. A content collaboration with Deepak, a prominent disability rights activist, is on the cards,” said Prince.

True to their tagline of ‘everything for everyone’, the platform would cater to a wide audience. “Apolitical people can also learn from Periyar. Rights of believers are important too. Going beyond political content, the platform will also showcase media on the art of living, economy, and more,” Prince said.

Underscoring that democracy was at the heart of their content curation, Anburaj expressed a desire to join hands with people, especially the youth, who were willing to share their intellectual property. “Over 2,000 works have been curated thus far for the platform,” he added.

There are no boundaries to collaboration, too, said Mathiseelan. “Whoever it may be, if their ideologies align with our aims, we’ll work with them as our OTT is movement-based,” he stated.

Additionally, films and documentaries focused on social issues would be dubbed into Tamil, Prince noted. “Acclaimed documentary maker Anand Patwardhan has passed on rights to dub Ram ke Naam (1992) in Tamil (to be streamed soon) and has promised to give other works to the platform,” he said.

Going beyond TN

“It’s vital that Periyar gets an audience outside of his home,” opined Prince. “People in the northern states mistakenly view the Dravidian leader as anti-nationalist, separatist, anti-Hindu, and anti-Brahmin, and not as a humanist. However, non-Tamils have indicated interest in learning about his ideologies. The visionary’s works were translated into Punjabi, Odia, and Bangla by professors and writers last year but the focus is on digital versions as people prefer that to books.”

Keeping this in mind, the content on Periyar Vision will soon be available in multiple languages with subtitles. Also, the Hindi version of Periyar is all set to be launched on his 146th birth anniversary today, along with re-releases in Tamil and Malayalam.

TARGET AUDIENCE

- Oppressed across all spectrums of society: To make them aware of various forms of societal discrimination

- Children: To expose them to non-religious content; there’s an existing magazine on Periyar for kids in Tamil, and videos on their YouTube channel. Upcoming: Periyar 3D

- Youth: Aged between 18 and 30 years, familiarise them with progressive thoughts before they enter marital life

FEEDBACK FROM USERS

- Monthly subscription at Rs 49 could be done away with

- Content that is critical of Periyar’s teachings is necessary, too