HumHonCultureCon Movie Event: Jai Bhim (2021)

Over the 2026–27 school year, the SJSU's Humanities Honors Program is pleased to bring you the Humanities Honors Cultural Connections film series — or HumHonCultureCon, for short! — FREE movie events open to the campus community and general public that explore the interconnectedness of global cultures and that relate to material taught in Humanities Honors courses.

Each HumHonCultureCon event will feature extras and surprises.

Film and Event Format

Our series begins with the critically-prasied 2021 Indian film Jai Bhim (Tamil language with English subtitles), directed by T. J. Gnanavel and starring Suriya, a bracing historical drama about caste discrimination and the anti-caste movement based on an incident that occurred in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu in 1963.

Our Jai Bhim event will include a screening and discussion from 3:30–6:30 pm, followed by a reception and chance to continue conversation over refreshments. Discussants will offer fast 5-minute responses to the film from different perspectives.

IMDB Summary for Jai Bhim

When a tribal man is arrested for a case of alleged theft, his wife turns to a human-rights lawyer to help bring justice.

Reviewer Quotes

“[B]eautifully shoulders the responsibility of being a decisively realistic, social, issue-based drama without being preachy.” —Ashameera Aiyappan, Firstpost

“The amalgamation of the lead actor’s (Suriya) charisma, the urgency of the theme and the force of the no-holds-barred storytelling results in an immersive and riveting film that calls attention to the plight of an oppressed community languishing on the fringes of society.” —Saibal Chatterjee, New Delhi Television (NDTV)

For more information about the film: "Jai Bhim: The Indian film that overtook The Godfather on IMDb" (BBC).

Discussants include:

Sneha Dutta-Hazarika (Cal State faculty: SJSU Humanities & Sociology; CSU-East Bay, Sociology)

Aatika Singh (Stanford University, Ph.D. candidate in Art & Art History)

Aradhana Anandkumar (SJSU B.S. student '27, Humanities Honors alum)

In line with SJSU's 2026–27 programming theme of BELONGING, we have selected films that prompt us to ask one of two questions: "Who belongs?", or "Who does culture belong to?"

The event is free, but please RSVP to save your seat and help us plan!

Event Contact: [email protected]

Sponsored by the College of Humanities and the Arts Artistic Excellence Programming Grants.