facial hair which has been a recurring symbol for masculinity in tamil films also reinforces patriarchy and caste identitiesone might wonder what is in a hair even though the cluster above your upper lip accentuates ones look it is still only a bunch of disposable body wasteinterestingly we cannot dismiss the importance of hair and other bodily attributes in indian culture with such ease because they are often invested with cultural meanings that define the way we perceive a female or a maletake tamil cinema for instance the kamal haasan starrer thevar magan 1992 can certainly take the credit for infusing the moustache with meanings of strong masculinity caste thevar and regional madurai identity for the first time in the history of tamil cinema but well before haasan sported the handlebar moustache a thick curvy moustache that puffs up the entire jaw was an evocation of freedom fighter veerapandiya kattabomman or folk deities such as madurai veeran ayyanar and kathavarayanthevar magan however breathed new life into the bushy male upper lip through the story of a man who transforms into a new avatar after inheriting his fathers mantle of caste leadership by adorning his moustache garbs and jewellery similar to the patriarch the transformation of haasans character sakthivel is also a signifier of his renouncement of western culture his modern lifestyle and his citybred girlfriend while embracing and internalising the local culture and traditions of his village probably for the first time in the history of tamil cinema a film constructed the cinematic and visual codes of masculine inheritance and passed them on as an example for other films to followthe madurai style moustache as it has come to be known after the success of thevar magan in fact belongs to the town of aruppukkottai personalities such as journalist nakkeeran gopal and sandalwood smuggler veerappan sporting one have lent credence to patriarchal film codes regardless of which side of the law the characters were onbut the metamorphosis of sakthivel in thevar magan is not kafkaesque but a definitely spine chilling one as he ends up a monster a ferocious village deity and a mirror image of his cousin mayan that moustache represents male prowess is nothing new in tamil culture but appropriating of its meaning for a particular caste and region is a convention tamil cinema has inherited from thevar magan in 2007 parutheeveeran played on the codes of masculinity hidden behind the moustache by retaining its caste and regional identities it however pushed the hero and the narrative to the banditry realm of the social spectrum the film nonetheless established that the reach of patriarchy is not restricted to one section of the society but it is all pervasivethe suriya starrer singam 2010 also cashed in on the moustache but it took the identity down further south to thoothukudi district patriarchal authority and governmental law merge in the character of durai singam played by surya who is both a police officer and the male heir to the throne of