Course Description
Examination of the ways in which various kinds of identities are constructed and negotiated through the film industries of South Asia. Exploration of narratives of place and their expression through performance underscore processes of social identification across the South Asian subcontinent. Through our study, we will explore mediums and topics such as: religion and myth; colonialism and postcolonialism; gender and sexuality; language and ethnic identity; caste and other forms of discrimination; and the politics of national and subnational identity.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Graduate students will be required to lead a discussion at least twice during the term, and complete a longer, more substantive final project.
Athena Title
Cinema in South Asia
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to: • Describe the social, cultural, and political histories of Bollywood and other major film industries in the South Asian context. • Summarize the contributions of significant performers, creators, and influencers in the history of South Asian cinema. • Discuss how various understandings of identity map onto, influence, and find expression in and through the cinematic medium. • Communicate an understanding of these outcomes in a research paper.
Topical Outline
1) Early film in South Asia 2) Theater-Film, history of touring theater groups 3) Why Bombay? Locating Bollywood 4) Dislocating Bollywood, Cinemas of the South 5) Histories of Dance in Film 6) Politics on-screen, screening politics