Speaking with Suhasini Mulay: A short story about a long strife

Abstract

This article is connected to my project concerning the Indian film industry, questions of work and women’s labour; and, this interview-based article grows from my ongoing audio-visual documentary work tentatively titled The Shadow and The Arc Light. It enables me to reflect upon my previous book project, and takes shape in the light of contemporary feminist historiography. Suhasini Mulay began her career as an actor with Bhuvan Shome (Mrinal Sen 1969), and thereafter, shifted to filmmaking and obtained technical training from McGill University, Montreal. Upon her homecoming she initially worked with the International Film Festival of India, and later assisted Satyajit Ray (for Jana Aranya [1975]) and Mrinal Sen (for Mrigayaa [1976]). While Mulay has made documentaries, and also acted in Bhavni Bhavai (Ketan Mehta 1980), she eventually resumed full-time acting in 1999. As narrated by her, she endured hierarchical, gendered and precarious work conditions, which inform us about the arduous production milieu. Through such conversations, I propose gender as a lens for studying film history, and underscore filmmaking as labour; as well, analyse the nature of filmic work. I aspire to demonstrate how women involved in various capacities, negotiate networks of media forms and capital, and persist perilously.