From Bombay Talkies to Khote Productions: female star switching power in bollywood production culture

Abstract

ABSTRACT Devika Rani, first lady of Indian cinema, spearheaded a studio and co-produced global films. Her contemporary Durga Khote was the first female star to produce ad films and venture into television production. Nargis, the star of Oscar nominated, Mother India, also produced films. While female stars have historically been central to Indian cinema’s production culture and globalization, their role within it is largely ignored. These stars have been critical to the adoption of global industry practices and the creation of new business models and networks to enable Hindi cinema’s global presence. Charting a historical trajectory from the 1940s to the 1960s this article explicates the impact of female “star switching power”, the ability to exceed the constraints of the network through their “effective and affective” power within India’s socio-cultural and political networks, to create new directions for Hindi cinema. Tracing the contributions of female stars such as Devika Rani and Durga Khote (high caste, elite Brahmins) and juxtaposing it to Nargis (a minority Muslim from a chequered family background), the article shows that class, caste and religion become key factors in determining whether a star’s production efforts translate to “switching power” or devolve into affective and material labour.