Studies in Film, Media, and Visual Culture (305-0-1)
Topic
Beyond Bollywood: Indian Cinema after 1947
Instructors
Lakshmi Padmanabhan
Meeting Info
Helmerich Auditorium: Wed 11:00AM - 12:50PM
Annie May Swift Hall 109: Wed 1:00PM - 2:50PM
Overview of class
Beyond Bollywood: Indian Cinema after 1947
Lakshmi Padmanabhan
In the last two decades, "Bollywood" has become a cultural shorthand for Indian cinema as such, usually associated with elaborate song and dance sequences, plots that focus on "family values," and a mass audience who worship film stars as religious icons. This class will locate the phenomenon of Bollywood cinema within the rich and complicated history of Indian cinema since the Partition of 1947, when the British colonial administration divided the region into the sovereign nation-states of Pakistan and India. We will take mainstream Indian film as a key site for reflecting on the politics of nationalism, globalization, and forms of social belonging. We will begin with Indian cinema's reflections on the affective and political aftermath of the Partition. We will then move into an analysis of the formation of gendered citizenship, generic modes, and regional cinemas. In the final unit of the course, we will address the transnational circulation of Indian cinema and the rise of Bollywood as a global brand, as well as the explosion of contemporary experimental documentary and video art, which circulate in art galleries and film festivals abroad. We will put pressure on the boundaries between "popular" cinema and parallel cinema, investigate the role of film in social life, and address the differences of class, race, gender, and ethnicity in the construction of the filmic text. Students are expected to complete readings, and acquaint themselves with the history and culture of the subcontinent to prepare for the political discussions that these films engage in.
Evaluation Method
Course participation includes attendance at weekly screenings and discussions, one in-class presentation, brief reflections to be posted to the course discussion board, and two short response papers to be submitted during the quarter.
Class Attributes
Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area