ABSTRACT
This companion is the first study of caste and its representation in Indian cinema. It unravels the multiple layers of caste that feature directly and indirectly in Indian movies, to examine not only the many ways caste pervades Indian society and culture but also how the struggle against it adopts multiple strategies.
The companion:
• Critiques Indian cinema production through the lens of anti-caste discourse;
• Traces the history of films beginning from the early twentieth century, focusing on caste representations across India, including Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi, Tamil as well as silent films;
• Makes a foray into OTT media;
• Includes analysis of popular films such as Padmaavat, Masaan, Fandry, Sairat, Sujata, Article 15, Chomana Dudi, Lagaan, Court, Ee.Ma.Yau, Kaala, Pariyerum Perumal, Perariyathavar, among many others, to critique and problematise the idea of caste.
A major intervention, this book alters traditional approaches to ‘caste’ in Indian cinemas and society and explores new political strategies implemented through cinematic creation and aesthetics. It will be indispensable for scholars and researchers of film studies, social discrimination and exclusion studies, human rights, popular culture, and South Asian studies. It will also be of interest to enthusiasts of Indian cinematic history.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part |13 pages
Shifting the Gaze
part |62 pages
From Spectatorship to Agency
chapter 3|14 pages
To Kill or to Allow to Live
part |38 pages
Making the Invisible Visible
chapter 7|12 pages
Visualising the Invisible
part |33 pages
The Bigger Picture
part |52 pages
Caste and Gender
part |36 pages
Caste on Trial
chapter 15|12 pages
The Constitution of/and Caste
chapter 16|11 pages
Beyond Violence and Non-Violence
part |37 pages
The Entanglements of Caste and Nature
chapter 17|10 pages
The Caste of Nature
chapter 18|11 pages
The Pig, the Black Sparrow, and the Sheep
chapter 19|14 pages
Landless, Homeless, and Nameless
part |37 pages
Not Two but Three States
part |89 pages
From Closer Up