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VOL. 13, ISSUE 3 (2026)
Exact or exaggerate: Portrayal of psychological disorders in Tamil cinema
Authors
Manjushree M H, Thamilselvan Palanichamy, Kavibharathi Selvam
Abstract
Movies have always been a
powerful tool to portray and influence the way people perceive things in the
society. Movies act as a mirror, facilitating audiences to understand the complicated
issues in the society. Tamil cinema has always been a platform to address and
create awareness on societal realities. Tamil cinema has increasingly depicted
characters facing psychological challenges. But there remains an uncertainty to
the extent the psychological disorders and symptoms are portrayed. This study
attempts to investigate the portrayal of psychological disorders and symptoms in
cinema and analyse the accuracy of its portrayal. On analysing 10 Tamil films (Anniyan,
Chandramuki, Spider, Psycho, Three, Pasaga-2, Naan
Sigappu Manithan, Galatta kalyanam, Netrikann and Ratsasan) the study
highlights the varied depictions of the psychological disorders. Results
revealed that 3 movies have portrayed the psychological symptoms exactly and 7
movies have exaggerated the symptoms. The study concluded that exaggerate
portrayal of the psychological symptoms and disorders in movies tend to
influence and leads to misinterpretation of the symptoms and disorders among
the people. On the contrary, more accurate portrayals that reflect the reality
of psychological disorders seem to generate less interest and curiosity among
audiences.
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Pages:140-142
How to cite this article:
Manjushree M H, Thamilselvan Palanichamy, Kavibharathi Selvam "Exact or exaggerate: Portrayal of psychological disorders in Tamil cinema". International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development, Vol 13, Issue 3, 2026, Pages 140-142
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