Identity, Nationhood and Bangladesh Independent Cinema (Routledge Contemporary South Asia Series)

"This book analyses how independent filmmakers from Bangladesh have represented national identity in their films. The focus of this book is on independent and art house filmmakers and how cinema plays a vital role in constructing national and cultural identity. The authors examine post-2000 films which predominantly deal with issues of national identity and demonstrate how they tackle questions of national identity. Bangladesh is seemingly a homogenous country consisting 98% of Bengali and 90% of Muslim. This majority group has two dominant identities - Bengaliness (the ethno-linguistic identity) and Muslimness (the religious identity). Bengaliness is perceived as secular-modern whereas Muslimness is perceived as traditional and conservative. However, Bangladeshi independent and art house filmmakers portray the nationhood of the country with an enthusiasm and liveliness that exceeds these two categories. In addition to these categories, the authors add two more dimensions to the approach to discuss identity: Popular Religion and Transformation. The study argues that these identity categories are represented in the films, and that they both reproduce and challenge dominant discourses of nationalism. Providing a new addition to the discourse of contemporary national identity, the book will be of interest to researchers studying international film and media studies, independent cinema studies, Asian cinema, and South Asian culture, politics, and identity politics"-- Provided by publisher Identity, Nationhood and Bangladesh Independent Cinema Cover -1 Half Title 2 Series Page 3 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 Figures 9 Tables 10 Acknowledgements 11 Introduction 14 Notes 19 References 19 1. Nationhood, Identity and Independent Cinema 20 Nationhood and Identity 20 Representation and Identity 26 Discourses on Independent Film: Global and Bangladeshi 28 Film Narratology 38 References 40 2. Identity Approaches of Bengali Muslims 43 Bengal before the Muslim Conquest 45 Bengal under Muslim Rule 46 Interregnum: The British Imperialism and Movement of Pakistan State 48 Language Movement and Emergence of Bangladesh 50 Bengaliness as a Way of Being 51 The Rise of Muslimness 53 Islamic Revivalist Movement 53 British Policy 54 Hindu Chauvinism 55 Popular Religion: The Syncretic Identity Approach 57 Tantric Buddhism, Sufism and Vaishnavism 57 Post-Independence Bangladesh: Two Major Identities in Conflict 60 Transformation and Deterritorialisation 63 Jihadist Islam 64 Notes 67 References 67 3. The Making of Independent Cinema in Bangladesh 69 Early Influences 70 First Phase (1984-1992): Early Short Films 71 Early Characteristics 72 Some Limitations of Early Independent Films 74 Second Phase (1993-1999): Thrust to Transformation 75 Industrial Cutting Edge 76 We were Forced to be Independent 77 Third Phase (2000-2010): New Challenges and Opportunities 77 Corporate Electronic Media as Parallel Industry 78 Local Entrepreneur as Producer 80 Digital Filmmaking in the 2000s 81 Diverse Survival Strategies 83 Fourth Phase (2011-2018): Going Global 85 Documentary in a Different Note 90 Government, Censorship and Independent Cinema 93 Notes 98 References 98 4. Textual Analysis: Foundational Films 100 Kittonkhola: Struggle with Identity in the Rural Bengal 101 Histoire 101 Recit 102 A Tale of the Transformation of Identity 102 Portrayal of the Power Structure of Peripheral Bengal 104 Behula or Manasa: Feminine Dichotomy 105 Narration 106 A Tree Without Roots: Portrayal of Muslimness of a Peasant Society 107 Lalsalu and Syed Waliullah 108 Histoire 108 Recit 109 A Fatalistic Society 109 Manufacturing Fear 111 Women: Victim, Labourer and Rebellious 112 Anti-Islamic Text? 113 Narration 113 Dollhouse: Love in the Time of War 115 Histoire 116 Recit 117 War Victimises Woman 117 War Can Confuse People 118 Nationalist Narrative of Resistance 119 A Dollhouse can be Built under Aggression 120 Nature of Bengal: Additional Narrative 120 Narration 121 References 123 5. Textual Analysis: Transitional Films 125 The Clay Bird: Plurality of Identity of Bangladesh 125 Histoire 126 Recit 128 Constructing Identity: Bengaliness, Muslimness and Popular Religion 128 The Clay Bird Symbolises Freedom 129 Representing Cultural Diversity 130 Narration 131 Meherjaan: Challenge to the Grand Narrative of Liberation War 135 Histoire 135 Recit 137 An Absurd Affair? 137 Can a Birangana Speak? 138 Nationalist Jingoism and Moral Policing 139 An Untimely Deconstruction? 140 Is 'Loving the Other' Possible? 141 Narration 141 Television: Religion's Negotiation with Modernity 142 Histoire 142 Recit 144 Television as a Vehicle of Imag(e)ination 144 A Conflict between Zealotry and Modernity? 145 Religious Sense and Sensibility 146 Love in the Time of Religious Bigotry 146 Narration 147 References 148 6. Textual Analysis: Contemporary Films 150 A Runway: Profiling Terror Network in Bangladesh 151 Histoire 151 Recit 152 Dealing with Jihadist Islam 153 Geneology of a 'Jongi' 154 Class Exploitations Everywhere 155 Narration 156 B Ant Story: Globalised Man's Descent into Madness 156 Histoire 157 Recit 158 Psychoanalysis 159 Contemporary Bangladesh 160 Narration 161 C Under Construction: A Document of Time and Space under Construction 161 Histoire 162 Recit 165 Narration 166 D My Bicycle: Changing Indigenous Life on the Advent of Modernity 167 Histoire 168 Recit 168 A Historiography of Indigenous People 169 Depiction of an Ethnic Identity and Culture 170 Advent of Modernity and a Changing Society 171 Military and the Censorship Fiasco 171 Narration 172 References 172 7. Representing Identity through Cinema 173 Bengaliness and Muslimness as Conflicting Identities 175 Bengaliness as the Preferred Identity Approach 179 Popular Religion in the Selected Films and the Greater Identity Questions 183 Bangladesh Society in Transition and Deterritorialisation 184 Women in the Identity Politics: Victim, Labourer and Rebel 190 Class as a Component in Identity Politics 193 'Oriental's Orientalism': Re-reading the Case for Independent Films in Bangladesh 194 Independent Cinema as a Cultural Institution: It's Influence in Constructing Identity 198 Notes 200 References 201 Conclusion 203 References 208 Index 210