Indian society despite economic growth is still facing the issues of freedom and equality. Women, minorities and downtrodden sections of society are fighting for their due status in society. These issues surface in all kind of literature and art forms. Indian cinema also takes this narrative forward by creating some really good films.
Recently many Indian films have started picking up gender issues in a new light. These issues are being interpreted by scholars by penning down pieces on sexism and gender related transgressions and impact of post-coloniality on women. Scholars in this book have even analysed films which portray second generation diaspora residents in terms of cultural hybridity, multiculturalism and identity conflict.
Cultural and political interface of Indian cinema is interesting to study. While a port star Sunny Leone is getting recognition in conservative society through films, Bangladesh is enjoying the vibes of fashion through the breeze of Indian films. Not only Hindi films, Indian regional cinema is abuzz with such themes. Also, Indian films have become the soft power for political and diplomatic gains for the country in the world.
Indian films have always contributed to social reformation by expressing solidarity with the marginalised and minorities in their themes. Scholars have chosen such films for their semiotic analyses.
Indian cinema has visibly changed in the digital age. New technologies have made an impact on every compartment of filmmaking. The distribution of films has also changed with the arrival of live streaming and PTT platforms. Social media has changed the tools of marketing of films.
Also, the societal change in the backdrop of these technologies are being notices by filmmakers while they chose their themes. Scholars are studying these changes by writing on subjects like the impact of mobile technology on consumption of Hindi cinema
This book is broadly divided in five segments.
Part 1: Cinematic Gaze, Gender and Identity Conflict
Part 2: Cultural and Political Interface of Indian Cinema
Part 3: Depiction of the Marginalized and Minorities in Films
Part 4: Cinema in the Digital Age Part 5: Cinematic Content, Genres and Marketing
Dr. Vikrant Kishore is an academic, filmmaker, photographer, author and a journalist; he has more than 25 documentaries and corporate films to his credit. Currently working at Deakin University as Course Director for Film, Television and Animation, he is a Senior Lectr'rer in Screen & Design. Dr. Kishore's focus is to bring due attention required to the sniffy of Indian cinema in Australia. He has organized various international conferences, film festivals and seminars to popularize Bollywood cinema. Dr. Kishore has been actively working for the safeguard and preservation of the cultural heritage of East India; especially Chhau dance. Dr. Kishore is an active member of International Dance Council (CID-UNESCO) and Association Nationale Cultures and Tradition (ANCT, France); he is the official representative of ANCT for Australia & New Zealand. He has been a jury member in various film festivals, such as ATOM Awards (Australia), Real Film Festival (Newcastle) and Doordarshan National Awards (India). Dr. Kishore's areas of research are Asian and Indian Cinema, Indian folk and popular culture, reality television programmes and caste politics in India.
Dr. Ambrish Saxena, Dean, DME Media School and Director, DME Studios and Production, is an accomplished media professional, educator, trainer, researcher, author, anchor and political analyst. He has worked at different media platforms ranging from theatre, puppetry, print, radio, television to films, before switching over to media academics.
Dr. Saxena has worked with many media groups, The Pioneer, Amrit Bazar Patrika, Aaj, JVG Times and ZEE. He has worked for the first ever TV news magazine Parakh during 1990s. He has been anchoring the highly rated programme of AIR FM Gold Market Mantra since the inception of the channel in 2001.
Dr. Saxena has academic association with more than 20 universities of which include 4 central, 5 state and 9 private/deemed universities. He has 27 books to his credit as sole author, main author, chapter writer and editor.
Dr. Saxena was part of the Indian Educators' delegation to China in 2008, participated in International Conference at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia in 2016 and presented papers in Portland and Eugene, Oregon, United States, in IAMCR Conference in 2018.
Cinema and television have long held mainstream entertainment appeal. From a mass media perspective, the content in movies or cinema can be classified vis-à-vis the status of society. There have been those that, upon release, mirror the life and times of the audience. Also present have been both regressive and progressive productions. There are in fact considerable themes into which productions can be categorised and various lenses through which they can be understood.
India produces numerous films in many languages every year. There is also endless hours of television programming churned out, day in and day out. Indian films have been widely recognised as a tool for soft power diplomacy too. Their reach and appeal have transcended borders and left a indelible impression on even India's fiercest foes. From my travels across South-East Asia I have also seen firsthand how Indian soap operas have a loyal and dedicated audiences well beyond India's borders, Add to this the heady mix of new networks that have aggregated content and are also producing Indian originals—Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Alt Balaji etc., and the playing field has just expanded exponentially.
Given the scale and reach of Indian cinema and the nuances of the developing TV and networks platform, a study of the journey, direction and impact of these is very much in order. In fact the lack of periodic and systematic analysis of what we are watching, is simply astounding. This series of four books tries to fill this gap, and is a first in what should be a regular inquiry into the state of Indian productions.
These books contain research articles that analyse the various facets and developments in this field, and were presented at DME's second international ICAN — Indian Cinicma & Alternate Networks Conference. The Conference, partnered by Deakin University, Australia, and inaugurated at the India Habitat Centre on 16th November 2018, received exceptional support and contributions.
It is indeed heartening that we are sharing the spirit of inquiry and awareness with leading academicians of Australia, which is emerging as one of India's more prominent foreign connection.
An enormous amount of hard work has gone into organising of the conference as well as release of these books, and the ably led DME Media School must be congratulated on this feat.
I am hopeful that these papers contribute positively to the study of an industry that, while understandably acknowledged as a commercial giant, is often intellectually ignored.
Cinema makes a lasting effect on viewers' mind. It not only entertains but enlightens too. It is the real documentation of the culture, history, heritage and societal issues in a country. Cinema fascinates, it is alluring and captivating, and that is how it draws crowd to theatres all across the globe.
For the creative people cinema is a craft and not an academic subject. Learning the craft may be easy with an ingenious approach and skill friendly attitude. But, academics has its own importance. It gives a depth, an understanding to the producer of cinematic content. Educational institutions perform this job either through prescribing the subject in curriculum or organizing film appreciation workshops.
Besides academic and creative aspect, film making also involves technology and marketing. The arrival of OTT signals the departure of satellite age and internet based promotional tools have changed the dynamics of business. There is an earnest need to appreciate and comprehend these changes in whichever capacity we are associated with cinema whether as producer of content or merely consuming the content as viewer.
ICAN 2 held on November 16, 17 and 18, 2018, at DME provided a platform for all those who love cinema and want to live with cinema. Technical sessions (8), plenary sessions (3) and workshops (3) during International Conference on Indian Cinema and Alternate Networks delivered ample opportunities to film academia and film makers.
This conference looked at various aspects of Indian cinema while looking into how its reception and consumption, collaboration and distribution have changed over the years. Various aspects of Indian cinema were researched, analysed and discussed by scholars and filmmakers in different sessions of the conference.
ICAN 2 provided ocean of knowledge in terms of research based writings by eminent and emerging scholars from India and abroad. The research papers presented in this international conference are being published in the form of four books, three in English and one in Hindi. This book Bollywood Women and Indian Society is one of these books. The other two books are titled "World Cinema and Alternate Networks" and "Changing Trends of Indian Cinema".
This book Bollywood Women and Indian Society revolves around representation of women in Indian cinema and the depiction of film actresses in films. It analysis films about feminism and liberation of women and also deals with issues of sex and sexuality. This book covers discussion on films with issues like vulnerability of certain sections, caste and community divide and family ties.
This book brings before you diverse thoughts and approaches with regard to films dealing with varied subjects of society having emphasis on women. Many eminent media scholars, researchers and film experts have contributed to this book by penning down the outcome of their research and analysis on different themes. Hope, this book will benefit the cine lovers.
**Contents and Sample Pages**
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