Embodied Resonances: Memory And Affect In Meiyazhagan And Three Of Us

Abstract

The very world of human beings is made up of activities, events, occasions which finally lead to memories. This article explores the role of memory and emotion in the Indian films Meiyazhagan and Three of Us, using Paul Ricoeur’s theory of narrative memory (1984, 2004) and Sara Ahmed’s affect theory (2004). The article argues that both films depict memory not as a static recollection of the past but as an affectively charged, embodied narrative practice. Three of Us presents memory as fragile and disintegrating, yet emotionally generative, while Meiyazhagan portrays memory as embedded in shared practices, bodies, and landscapes. The films’ narrative structures and aesthetic choices reflect how emotions evoke an access to the past and shape the identity of the protagonists through both personal and collective memory.