Narratives of Gendered Dissent in South Asian Cinemas

Using the lenses of post-colonial and feminist theory, Kurian examines politically engaged, women-centred South Asian films. This book conducts a post-colonial, gendered investigation of women-centred South Asian films. In these films, the narrative becomes an act of political engagement and a site of feminist struggle: a map that weaves together multiple strands of subjectivity-gender, caste, race, class, religion, and colonialism. The book explores the cinematic construction of an oppositional narrative of feminist dissent with a view to elaborate a historical understanding and theorisation of the `materiality and politics' of the everyday struggle of Indian women. The book analyzes the ways that `cultural workers' have tended to use subversive narratives as a tool of resistance. Narratives that are political, ideological, classed, raced and gendered offer the focus of this exploration. Through strategies of disclosure and documentation of memory, personal experiences, and imaginary events shaped by the larger historical, political, and cultural contexts, these discursive texts engage in the processes of struggle against a plethora of oppression: caste, class, religion, patriarchal, sexual, and (neo)colonial. The study looks at the manner in which, through their creative and aesthetic interventions, South Asian film makers enable the articulation of an alternative gendered subjectivity as well as constitute the ground for personal and collective empowerment. Films discussed include Shyam Benegal's Nishaant, Nandita Das' Firaaq, Beate Arnestad's My Daughter the Terrorist, and Sarah Gavron's Brick Lane This book conducts a post-colonial, gendered investigation of women-centred South Asian films. In these films, the narrative becomes an act of political engagement and a site of feminist a map that weaves together multiple strands of subjectivitygender, caste, race, class, religion, and colonialism. The book explores the cinematic construction of an oppositional narrative of feminist dissent with a view to elaborate a historical understanding and theorisation of the materiality and politics of the everyday struggle of Indian women. The book analyzes the ways that cultural workers have tended to use subversive narratives as a tool of resistance. Narratives that are political, ideological, classed, raced and gendered offer the focus of this exploration. Through strategies of disclosure and documentation of memory, personal experiences, and imaginary events shaped by the larger historical, political, and cultural contexts, these discursive texts engage in the processes of struggle against a plethora of caste, class, religion, patriarchal, sexual, and (neo)colonial. The study looks at the manner in which, through their creative and aesthetic interventions, South Asian film makers enable the articulation of an alternative gendered subjectivity as well as constitute the ground for personal and collective empowerment. Films discussed include Shyam Benegals Nishaant , Nandita Das Firaaq , Beate Arnestads My Daughter the Terrorist , and Sarah Gavrons Brick Lane . Introduction -- Class, Caste And Social Exclusion. Subalterneity And Resistance In Shyam Benegal's Nishaant And Manthan -- Radical Politics And Gender In Govind Nihalani's Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Ma, Sudhir Mishra's Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, And Sanjiv Karambelkar's Lal Salaam -- Nationalism, Religion, And Identity. The Politics Of Hindutva In Nandita Das' Firaaq, Rahul Dholakia's Parzania, And Rakesh Sharma's Final Solution -- Gender, Home, And Displacement In Sabiha Sumar's Khamosh Pani, Shoaib Mansoor's Khuda Kei Liye, Shyam Benegal's Mammo, And Meena Nanji's A View From A Grain Of Sand -- Nationalism And Ethnic Struggle. Subjectivity, Choice, And Feminist Agency In Santosh Sivan's The Terrorist And Beate Arnestad's My Daughter The Terrorist -- Heteronormativity, Difference, And The Construction Of A Subversive Femininity. Gender, Identity, And The Diaspora In Gurinder Chadha's Bhaji On The Beach And Sarah Gavron's Brick Lane -- Conclusion. Alka Kurian. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.