Your goal is to integrate an astute reading of assigned essays with appropriate examples from a film and also keep the historical context of the film’s production in mind.
Specifications & Pick one question out of the four prompts provided below
Your paper must be 5 pages long, double-spaced, in Times New Roman 12 point font.
All images, if added, must be appended at the end of the 5 pages of text.
A list of references/bibliography is to be added after the 5 pages of your answer/response.
Clearly type your name, course title, and question number at the start of your paper.
Each paper must have a brief title of your own choosing.
All film titles must be italicized every time they are mentioned.
The first time you mention a film, provide the name of the director and year of release in parentheses. Eg. Awara (d. Raj Kapoor, 1951)
Use any citation style you are comfortable with, but keep it consistent. For instructions see footnote.[1]
All films are available either on indiancine.ma, YouTube, or via Clio.
You may discuss your paper outline with your TA or me during available office hours next week.
*Use of AI tools
“Unauthorized utilization of academic content produced with the aid of generative artificial intelligence (AI) platforms is considered a form of academic misconduct, as it involves seeking external assistance without adherence to academic guidelines.” – Columbia College Policy
Because writing is a form of thinking, you should not use ChatGPT or other generative AI tools as a shortcut or substitute for reading the assigned readings or drafting and editing written work in this class. Taking credit for work you di not create is a violation of academic codes of intellectual integrity.
Prompts (pick any one)
Question 1
Manishita Dass argues that the figure of the “modern woman” in social films of the 1920s-1930s was a deeply ambivalent figure. Drawing on Partha Chatterjee’s essay on the “Nationalist Resolution of the Women’s Question,” Dass suggests that many films of the silent and early talkie era seem “to endorse the individuality of the modern woman [but] only within specific limits” (136). That is, films that deal with contemporary life in this period often showcase strong female characters who are nevertheless only allowed a “circumscribed modernity” (136). In what ways does Dass’ argument apply to the film Kunku (1937)? If you wish, you may use Dass’ arguments to analyze Rita in Awara (1951), or Anita in Deewar (1975). Are Neera, Rita, or Anita portrayed as modern women, and if so, through what means? Does the film narrative place any limits on the character’s modernity? Illustrate your argument with examples from the film and references to the essays by Manishita Dass, Neepa Majumdar, (2015).
Question 2
Ira Bhaskar reminds us that melodrama is an aesthetic form “capable of narrating intense crises in particular historical moments,” a form “that emerges in transitional periods” (162). This framing helps us understand the popularity of the melodramatic mode in Indian cinemas, be they commercial or independent. Bhaskar argues that Indian melodramas use (i) an emotionally expressive mise-en-scene and (ii) songs, to articulate the impossible desires of protagonists, desires which cannot be fulfilled by the historical moment. Using examples from either Awara (1951) or Deewar (1975), elaborate on this argument and illustrate some of the ways in which mise-en-scene and songs simultaneously express individual desires and also comment on the social, cultural, economic, or political obstacles that prevent the characters from achieving their desires. You must include thoughtful references to the essay by Ira Bhaskar (2012).
Question 3
Bhaskar Sarkar argues that “space emerges as the central discursive trope” in Garam Hawa (1973), “with its central thematic of rootedness and migration, of belonging and alienation” (192). Pather Panchali (1955) and Deewar (1975), though not dealing with Partition, are also interested in the theme of loss and displacement, belonging and social marginalization. Discuss the use of space (through composition, camera angle, deep focus, actor choreography/blocking, location, editing) in Garam Hawa, Pather Panchali, OR Deewar and demonstrate how these films make a cinematic and visual commentary on social injustice, belonging, or displacement. You must thoughtfully integrate references to the essays by Bhaskar Sarkar, Neepa Majumdar, and Jyotika Virdi, where relevant to your choice of film.
Chicago guide: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.htmlLinks to an external site.Links to an external site.
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