Bollywood Research Articles

Nobility, Interrupted: The Queer Poetics of Vandana Kataria’s Noblemen

This paper explores the role of noble kinship in Noblemen, Vandana Kataria’s adaptation of The Merchant of Venice. Noblemen is a 2019 Indian independent film written during the apex of gay decriminalization discourse in India. While Bollywood adaptations of Shakespeare have been well studied, independent films such as Noblemen that “speak back” to mainstream regimes of cinema and culture demand more attention. The film transforms the Christian Venetian setting of Shakespeare’s play to that of an all-boys boarding school in India dubbed “Mount Noble High.” I argue that the film depicts male dominated kinship networks that oppress queer difference to emphasize how mainstream kinship perpetuates and reinforces an oppressive and monolithic “imagined community.” Kataria transplants the oppressive kinship apparent in The Merchant of Venice to Noblemen’s Noble High to emphasize how kinship networks’ discrimination, particularly homophobia, results in an imagined community bonded by corrupt nobility and erasure of marginalized identity. Such kinship networks force Shay, Kataria’s Shylock, to renounce his queer identity and convert to a position of subordination. Shay is only able to escape this subordination and exact revenge against the bullies by enacting the lawful role of Portia. This victory, however, fails to restore his nobility as it further ingratiates him in societal structures that reinforce oppression and heteronormativity. By showing how mainstream noble kinship is built upon a foundation of oppression rather than virtue, Kataria encourages audiences to question the virtue of laws, societal practices, and Bollywood films that reinforce imagined community by marginalizing queerness.

Sensory infrastructures of 21st century Delhi: Urban vistas, digital memories and aesthetic imaginaries of a postcolonial media-city

ABSTRACT In the recent decades of post-globalization India, a digital explosion in media platforms and technologies has created a new cartography of the city. This ‘informational’ vocabulary addresses the city not merely through built urban architecture but also through a mobile infrastructure of screens. MMS clips, surveillance footage, television news, home videos, memes, and so on are all symptomatic of this new digital archive of the city. This essay attempts to reflect on how Delhi’s urban imaginary is given a graphic volatile form through the viral circulations of its digital profile. As a new generation of Delhi-born directors emerge in the landscape of Bombay cinema, some of these filmmakers mobilize the recent televisual archive of crime in Delhi to respond to the city. At the same time, it is also interesting how a more generalized relation between the space of the night and urban violence is given a specific concrete iconography in these fictionalized accounts. Located within an intersection of Delhi’s urban imaginary, its expanding media infrastructure, and an aesthetic mobilization of the night, this essay examines Dibakar Banerjee’s Love Sex Aur Dhokha (2010), Anurag Kashyap’s Dev.D (2009), and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Delhi-6 (2009) to argue that the violence in these films as much material as it is technological. It is not only the anxiety related to murder itself, but the viral circulation of death and a television aesthetic of replayed and sensationalized crime that haunts the contemporary metropolitan experience.

Mental Illness, Trauma and Bollywood: Redefining the Role of Celluloid

The concept of mental illness and trauma appear to be tenebrous and stigmatized in India. People suffering from such illnesses are often “tagged as ‘lunatics,’ ‘crazy’, ‘possessed’ and many more by society. This leads to a vicious cycle of shame, suffering and isolation of the patients” (Hussain, 2021, p. 1). The dearth of awareness and sensitivity about the issue confound the situation for the victims inducing in them a sense of guilt and trauma. There is an urgency to revamp our understanding and representation of mental issues along with the physical problems or diseases. Bollywood, i.e., the Indian Hindi film industry, serving as a source of entertainment and mass education, has come forward to redefine its role by destigmatizing the mental illness and trauma by providing screen space to mould public perception and reception of these issues. The taboo and rather unheeded subject which has been overlooked and silenced since long is found to be represented in the select Bollywood films, such as, Kartik Calling Kartik (2010), Dear Zindagi (2016), Tamasha (2015), Anjana Anjanni (2010) and Judgemental Hai Kya (2019). This paper tends to analyse these films through the lens of trauma theory to examine how recurrent and intrusive recollections, flashbacks, night mares, sleep deprivation and dissociated and hyper-aroused state of the protagonists impair their mental health leading to their trauma. Translating “nervous shock” and “listening to the wounds of the other” (Luckhurst, 2018, p. 506) will be stressed in this paper. Besides, how these films contribute to the understanding of “post-traumatic growth,” “a positive psychological change that may occur in an individual after having processed and coped with trauma,” (Bryngeirsdottir & Halldorsdottir, 2021, p. 2) will be explored.

The Chinese Love Affair with Indian Films: A Promising Future

This cross-sectional study examines the acceptance of Indian cinema among Chinese cinephiles to determine how the audience perceives and is influenced after watching Indian films. Researchers surveyed the local Chinese audience and collected 2,129 valid self-structured e-questionnaires. Respondents belonged to Mainland China. Results showed significant characteristics that make Indian movies attractive to about 50% of the Chinese population. Findings also indicate that Chinese people still welcome good stories from India in blockbuster Bollywood films, despite tense Sino-Indian relations. Indian cinema plays a significant role as a soft power bridging both nations. The Indian film industry will continue to evolve to satisfy the audience’s needs in the future.

Evolution of Indian Cinema and Its Impact on Indian Culture

Indian cinema has greatly contributed to the globalisation of Indian culture, the world of cinema has seen many changes, this paper will shed some light on the societal impact of Indian cinema. Owing to the enhancement of technology and creativity, cinema has been a major influence on people's world views and perspectives. By examining major Bollywood and Tollywood films, this paper will analyse how Indian cinema has affected the course of Indian history. Moreover, the paper presents what changes have occurred in the opinions of the masses as a result of cinema's impact on Indian culture and society.

The Changing Role of Marginalised Women in Hindi Cinema: A Shift from Cinematic Negotiations to Empowerment

Men are shown the most dominant humans in societies and film industries, while women are confined to being the best homemakers, kind mothers and sisters. On the one hand, women have always been marginalised; on the other hand, there is no end to the plights of marginalised women. Dalit women, one section of the marginalised, have been suffering in the patriarchal society of India. Their representation in cinema is not free from flaws. The representation of Dalit women has been grossly victimised in the history of Indian cinema. As Dalit filmmakers have entered the film industry, the role of Dalit women on the screen has changed. However, it is slow-paced. Based on Gayatri Spivak’s theory of ‘Can the subaltern speak’, the present study attempts to understand and analyse the representation of the marginalised. By qualitatively analysing the films— Achhut Kanya, Sujata, Ankur, Sadgati, Bandit Queen, Bawandar, Chauranga, 200 Halla Ho, Madam Chief Minister, Geeli Pucchi and Jhund, the research work tries to navigate the timeline study of the changing roles of marginalised women, Dalit women.

Dekonstruksi Ruang Domestik Dalam Film Ki & Ka

This research was conducted with the aim of deconstructing gender roles in the domestic space using a Bollywood film entitled Ki & Ka, with the binary opposition of patriarchal culture that is, deconstructing is carried out by reserving the binary opposition. This research is a type of qualitative descriptive research with the method used in analyzing the data is descriptive analysis with the theoretical perspective of Jaques Derrida's deconstruction. The results of the study show that the deconstruction in the film Ki & Ka has succeeded in making Kabir fulfill his role as the controller of domestic space in his household with Kia.
 Keywords: deconstruction, binary opotition, gender

Qualitative Analysis of Religious Drama in Hindi Cinema: A Study of Movie “Dharam Sankat Mein”

Qualitative Analysis of Religious Drama in Hindi Cinema: A Study of Movie “Dharam Sankat Mein”

Playing it the nation’s way: tradition, cosmopolitanism, and the native-masculine of Hindi sports films

ABSTRACT The generic popularity of Hindi sports films has been overwhelming in recent years. The article examines this genre of Hindi films through the thematic construction of the sports‘man’ and its evolutionary manifestation from a masculine figure symbolising India’s national unitarian ethos to a megalithic, tradition-backed, orthodox patriarchy post-2010s. It elaborates this seemingly linear transformation through decade based phases, starting from the social-emancipatory athletic phenomenon of the pre-globalisation era to the neoliberal Hindi sports films of the early millennial phase. The study then explores the slow dissolution of the ‘composite masculinity’ that considered the ethnic variegation of Indian nationalism, and the emergence of sporting cinema on patriarchal and athletic superheroes. The article further discusses how it was nurtured within deeply insular, and ethno-religious gaming traditions of antiquity like the akhara wrestling, in fictional/biographical sports films like Sultan (Zafar 2016) and Dangal (Tiwari 2016). While commenting on this transformation of the ‘national athlete’ into the ‘heritage’s surrogate’, the article attempts to provide a detailed methodology of understanding the expanding canon of Hindi sports films so far and how it aligns itself with the re-ethnicisation of India’s polity in the last two decades.

Negotiating Minority Identities in Europe Through Cultural Preservation: Music as Heritage among the Dutch Hindustani Diaspora in the Netherlands

ABSTRACT Twice-migrant and descended from the colonial labour diaspora, the Dutch Hindustanis in the Netherlands are one of the most assimilated, socially integrated and upwardly mobile minority diaspora groups in the Netherlands. The group also remains the repository of the early vestiges of Hindi film music as well as traditional music from the Northern Indian plains, thereby making it a fascinating case study for cultural preservation. This paper undertakes to take a close look at the modes and methods employed by the Dutch Hindustanis to preserve their musical heritage and argues that it has emerged as one of the primary nodes of diasporic identity formation for the group.

Deconstructing the Complexities of Domestic Violence: A Case Study of Darlings and Ammu Movies

Domestic violence is defined as violence or fighting in domestic settings such as marriages, cohabitation or intimate relationships. This article evaluates the representation of domestic violence by Bollywood films as a major influence in it’s global audiences. This study explores how Indian cinema has portrayed the concept of patriarchy which has many layers of violence. The article closely examines the textual and conceptual features of current women-focused movies like Darlings(2022) and Ammu (2022). It analyses the structural pattern of domestic violence in the lives of Badru and Ammu and shows their resistance to it evidently.

Matricentric Leadership: Vidya Balan and the Emergence of Alternative Leadership Style in Popular Hindi Cinema

Vidya Balan has developed her brand of films by strategically choosing scripts to disrupt both the cinematic perception and the practice. This article argues that the Vidya Balan brand of films has been a prototype for an understated yet alternative leadership style which breaks the stereotype of portraying strong women with machismo and manliness to project them as bold and powerful. Balan has designed a consistent celebrity brand, yet distinguishable from her contemporaries. In the process, she has developed matricentric leadership. The article attempts to understand the matricentric leadership style in the context of popular Hindi cinema and how it corresponds to the larger societal context. A content analysis of Vidya Balan’s recent choice of films, her interviews, and her off-screen presence has revealed how she has succeeded in incepting an alternative leadership style. This style, inspired by a range of working mothers we see around us in our everyday lives, enables us to develop a deeper understanding of new-age women. It also adds to our knowledge about Hindi cinema’s changing trend in depicting more realistic women regarding body, looks and ability standards.

The Evolution of Film Genres: A Comparative Analysis of Hollywood and Bollywood

This paper provides an analysis of the themes, narratives, and stylistic elements in Hollywood and Bollywood films across various genres. It investigates the reception and critical reception of these films, as well as their box office performance and cultural impact. Additionally, it explores the influence of digital technologies on genre conventions, such as visual effects (VFX) and virtual reality (VR), and how they have opened up new opportunities for filmmakers. The challenges and opportunities in genre evolution, including the cross-pollination and emergence of hybrid genres, are also examined. The conclusion highlights the ever-evolving nature of the film industry and the importance of filmmakers in pushing boundaries and captivating audiences.

Portrayal of illicit drug use inbollywood movies over the last two decades: A content analysis.

to analyse Bollywood movies depicting illicit drug use, released in last two decades, based on their content. Online movie databases, source books and blogs were accessed along with Google search to compile a list of movies portraying illicit drug use in at least one character. Each movie was screened twice for details of character and drug use pattern. Total 22 movies depicting 25 characters were included in analysis. Majority of characters were male, young, students and affluent. Intoxication was the commonest state and social adversities were most common complications depicted. Treatment seeking was low and most common outcome was death. Cinematic depiction of drug use may promote some misconceptions among viewers. Alignment of cinematization with scientific knowledge is needed.

Theorising Necromale Through Killable Female: A Study of Murder 2 and Article 15

This essay studies the construction of killable female bodies via two Hindi films: Murder 2 (2011) and Article 15 (2019) and theorises a necromale—male murdering agent following a violent sovereign ethos, which, in turn, illuminates sovereign Indian masculinity in crisis. One of the many romances of the idea of sovereignty and ideals of self-rule is the construction of imaginary adversaries whose violent execution serves the sovereign purpose. This essay extends the rhetoric of sovereignty to include male violence in the study of alleged enemies—dead girls. If sovereignty means power to kill or let live, then in what ways does that definition play out in these films through gender violence? The essay expands on the exclusionary principles of killability—secrecy around murder investigations, hasty cremation/burial, and patriarchal and casteist public discourses that serve exclusively to make the male Indian sovereign violence against the victims doubtable. The killable females became the potent ground where caste, patriarchal, and national ideologies combine, enabling the Indian male sovereignty to deploy its power to kill. However, this sovereign/casteist murderous male, whom the essay establishes as a necromale, is killable in return. The male power to kill emerges as a suicidal martyrdom because the state’s right to kill ultimately reserves the monopoly on violence.

Why Chinese do not come: Antecedents and outcomes of destination images

Various factors such as destination image, geographical distance, cultural distance, and the number of heritage sites have been investigated to explain tourists’ intention to visit a destination. However, several explanatory factors in the literature are ineffective in explaining Chinese tourists’ low level of interest in visiting India despite the two countries’ numerous similarities and involvement in many exchanges. In this study, two antecedents of India's destination image are introduced, namely film attractiveness and country stereotype. A questionnaire was administered to 480 respondents in Guangzhou, China; and 416 valid responses were used for structural equation modelling analysis with LISREL 10.20. The study results validate the indirect relationship between Hindi films and tourists’ intention to visit India and the mediating role of destination images. Country stereotype as the other antecedent of destination image is also confirmed. The study results have theoretical implications for future research on destination images and practical implications for the marketing of India to the Chinese market.

The interpretation of Hindi cinema (with special reference to fiction)

Hindi cinema has been concerned with literature and society since its heyday. Literature and cinema have an interdependent relationship. In cinema we can see the society. That is why more or less cinema compiles material from literature. Hindi fiction includes both novels and short stories. Thus, in the research article presented, Hindi novels and films based on Hindi stories have been studied.
 Abstract in Hindi Language:
 हिंदी सिनेमा अपने उत्कर्ष काल से ही साहित्य और समाज से सरोकार रखता आया है। साहित्य और सिनेमा का अन्योन्याश्रित संबंध है। सिनेमा में हम समाज को देख सकते हैं। यही कारण है कि कमोवेश सिनेमा साहित्य से सामग्री संकलित करता है। हिंदी कथा साहित्य में उपन्यास और कहानियाँ दोनों समाहित हैं। इस प्रकार प्रस्तुत शोध आलेख में हिंदी उपन्यास और हिंदी कहानियों पर आधारित फिल्मों का अनुशीलन किया गया है।
 Keywords: ऑस्कर, साहित्य, सिनेमा, शिल्प अथवा शैली, अमलदारी, हुकूमत।

Celebrating Love through the Qawwali Song 'Tu Mere Rubaru Hai' in the Film Maqbool: Creating a Love Story out of Bard’s Tragedy

The Current Research Paper is intended to explore the Qawwali song ‘Tu Mere Rubaru Hai’ of the film Maqbool. Qawwali as an art form has been enacted in various Bollywood films including Maqbool. This song has been used as a tool for creating a background to the love affair of the characters Maqbool and Nimmi and Guddu and Sameera. Maqbool is the hindi film or bollywood adaptation of Shakespearean Tragedy Macbeth, and like any other Bollywood film, it has different genres of songs, Qawwali being one of them. Using the Piercian model of the semiotics, the research paper intends to study the song as a signifier of the love story developing between the characters of the film Maqbool. The lyrics of the song has been translated to be used and analysed in establishing the intended meaning and use of the song in the film.

‘Papa, I am gay, please, love me’: Politics of censorship and queer representation in Bollywood

The article explores the problematic issues that arise between Bollywood films projecting homosexual relationships and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) filtering their contents. Queer popular cultural representations in India face challenges to get release certification because of their inherently debatable contents including ‘non-normative’ sexual relationships which are largely identified as a potential threat to the existing heteronormative, majoritarian culture. By giving reference to two queer films, Unfreedom and Angry Indian Goddesses, this article explores the politics of censorship in the light of Foucauldian power relations and the discourse of knowledge production. I argue that by proscribing representations of queer sexualities in films, the CBFC has acted on behalf of the state in decelerating the formation and proliferation of a counter cultural movement to balance homophobia discursively and to peddle majoritarian power politics, and thus the notion of heterosexuality as compulsory form of sexual behaviour is popularized and consolidated in Indian society.

Reframing Islam in bollywood cinema: a study on the construction of the Islamic identity in Indian cinema

ABSTRACT This paper examines how stereotypical perceptions contribute to the construction of Muslim identity narratives in the context of Indian nationalism and the history of the Indo-Pak Partition. The main focus of this study is on how mainstream cinema portrayed the historical and nationalistic struggles of Partition through which the Muslim identity was shaped and shared through a range of communicative mediums. The verbal, physical, ritualistic and virtual modes of communication play significant roles in the construction and performance of identity. Analyzing films of mainstream Indian cinema, this article explores how expressions of the Indian Muslim are associated with the concept of Indian nationalism and its violent history of Partition and border politics where the stereotypical perceptions of Islam and Muslim identity contribute to the shaping of public opinion. It argues that whenever the corporeality of Indian Muslims is expressed through such forms, they get incorporated into the existing historic-geographical narratives, fictionalized as ideal stereotypes, normalized to fit into a particular political or ideological view, and finally get solidified into a set of polarized collective identities.