Promising Practices

Teaching India with Popular Feature Films

A Guide for High School and College Teachers

Gowri Parameswaran

Introduction organized to fight for their independence ladder by instituting the quota system in and they finally succeeded in 1947. higher education and government positions. Popular films tell us a lot about the Before the British left, they divided However, life for most Shudras and Dalits culture where they are seen and enjoyed the sub-continent into two nations, ac- (the untouchables) is still oppressive. even though they may not reflect “reality” ceding to some Muslim demands for their in the way that academics may want to own country by creating Pakistan. Since The Arts portray a country. Popular films get at the its independence India has burgeoned into deepest longings and fears of their viewer- The Indian subcontinent has a rich the second most populous country and the tradition of both the fine and perform- ship and their biggest hopes for the future. largest democracy on earth. Teaching India through popular films ing arts. There have been a number of influences on Indian sculpture, painting, is particularly important because that Cultural Information country is the largest producer of films in architecture, dance, drama, and writing. the world and claims some of the largest India is an extremely diverse country Some of the earliest and most profound markets for films. with a high degree of cultural continuity as influences have been Buddhist. The char- This article lists and describes some well as syncretism. The Indian constitution acteristic Buddhist rock-cut sculptures popular feature films that teachers can recognizes 22 Indian languages and there were later imitated by Hindus and Jains. use to talk about India and their general are over 1600 dialects spoken by people in In the south, mural paintings by the Chola themes. All of the films are quite appropri- India. Hindi is spoken by a larger propor- and the Chera kings survive. ate for a high school or higher education tion of the population than the other lan- The various musical styles of India audience, and all but one of them been guages, while Sanskrit, Tamil, Kannada, have often borrowed from each other. made in India by Indian directors. and Telugu are all considered classical Classical Indian music can be broadly languages. categorized into the northern Hindusthani A Short Introduction to India Indian food is characterized by its and the southern Carnatic styles. There complicated use of many spices that vary are innumerable folk styles of music that India is the second most populous regionally. Rice is eaten in the south while have become popular with music compos- country on earth and is the world’s largest wheat is the staple in the north. Pulses ers in the film industry. democracy. Its written history spans many and vegetable protein are the predominant Indian dancing has a very long history thousands of years from the Indus Valley source of protein in the diet and dairy prod- with many different styles dominating in Civilization, of which the earliest evidence ucts, especially in the form of yogurt (or different regions of the country. During dates back 9,000 years. All of the world’s curds), are an integral part of most meals. the British rule, public dancing was pro- major religions are represented in India, hibited and there was a significant decline with Hinduism being the most prominent. Caste in the performance of Indian dances. Since The other significant organized religions The Indian caste system has played India’s independence, the government has include Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, a dominant role in community life, not encouraged the development of both folk Jainism, Zoroastrianism, and Sikhism. just among Hindus but also among and classical dancing styles, with eight The various dynasties that have ruled members of other religions. Caste is an styles being designated as classical. These large regions in India include the Mau- important consideration when marriages are: Bharatnatyam (Tamilnadu), Odissi ryas and the Guptas in the north and the are arranged and during communal cel- (Orissa), Kathak (North India with Mu- Chalukyas, Cholas, and the Vijaynagar ebrations. Historically, the major castes ghal influences), Kathakali (Kerala), Mo- empires in the south. Later, the Mughal across the subcontinent have included hiniattam (Kerala), Kuchipudi (Andhra), rulers from central Asia conquered much the Brahmins (priests and teachers), the Manipuri (Manipur) and Sathriya (As- of India, followed by the British Empire. Kshatriyas (warriors and kings), Vaishyas sam). Besides these, there are a multitude From the middle of the 1800s, Indians (the merchants), and the Shudras (menial of folk dances that have thrilled both urban workers). The untouchables were outside and rural Indians alike. Gowri Parameswaran is an associate professor of the caste system and performed chores and chair of the Department of Educational Studies involving ‘unclean’ objects. The Indian Film Industry in the School of Education Since independence, the government at the State University of New York at New Paltz, India produces more films than any has made a concerted effort to deliver jus- other country and there are more people New Paltz, New York. tice to those on the lower rungs of the caste

MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION 52 Promising Practices watching Indian commercial films than General Cultural Themes Dharm (Duty) the number watching Hollywood films. and Popular Films Language: Hindi In fact, every three months, a population Themes: Caste and religious issues, equivalent to the entire population of India The following are some films that gender and social class (1.3 billion), watch Indian films. are entertaining but also teach students Indian films had their origins in the about Indian culture, history, and current The film is set in Varanasi (Benares), late 1800s and developed rapidly in the concerns. Most of them have been made in one of the holiest pilgrimage destinations first few decades of the 20th century. The the last ten years; some are older but have for Hindus. The wife of a poor but very early inspirations for Indian films were been included because they have been con- orthodox Brahmin priest finds a baby boy the India mega-epics, Ramayana and sidered cinematic milestones. Since India who has been abandoned by a Muslim Mahabharatha. The characteristics of even makes several hundred films a year it is woman. The wife decides to hide the reli- current Indian films borrow heavily from hard to have an exhaustive list of all the gious origins of the baby and brings him the classics, using side-stories and parallel great films that have been made. However, home since they do not have a son. The narratives along with comic relief, all in- the list included for this article covers a priest showers his love on the boy, only terwoven into the main plot of the feature wide variety of subject matter. The films later discovering the truth that his wife film. Indian films have been influenced by are as follows: has tried to hide from him. He decides to the varied dance traditions in the sub-con- undergo a very rigorous penance for the tinent. Like ancient Sanskrit plays, almost Mirch Masala (Chilli-Spice) religious infraction of touching a Muslim. all commercially successful films have Language: Hindi In the midst of his torturous penance, the catchy song and dance sequences, typically Themes: Gender, Rural life in India boy returns to seek refuge from religious used to depict emotional themes. fanatics who are attempting to murder Set in colonial India, the film explores In the last couple of decades, Holly- him. The events that follow lead the Brah- gender relationships in a small village in wood has influenced Indian popular films min priest to realize that devotion to his western India. The ‘Subedar’ or the chief in terms of both their themes and film- deity involves humanity and compassion law-enforcement office for the British making style. Technology from the west towards all human beings. government demands beautiful Sonbai has been freely adopted in Indian movies entertain him sexually. Sonbai runs for and today India has been a popular des- Firaaq (Separation/Quest) shelter into a spice factory that employs tination for Hollywood producers to send many of the women in the village. The Language: Hindi their films for editing and finishing. Subedar chases her into the factory while Themes: The Gujarat riots of 2006, Hindu Muslim conflict Why Use Indian Films To Teach About India the women in the village, fed up with the constant torture from men in power, decide The film follows the lives of several In spite of the extraordinary number to collectively face the Subedar and his people and families in the eastern state of of films made within India, few get recogni- henchmen. The colors are beautiful in the Gujerat who were all involved in a bloody tion or are distributed in the West. Some film and the story is gripping. communal riot in 2006 between the major- of them are watched outside of India, but ity Hindu community and the minority mostly by Indians living in the West. Most Mr. And Mrs. Iyer Muslim community. The film is based films set in India that Westerners watch Language: Hindi and English on real life narratives from about a 1000 are made by Non-resident Indians with Themes: Caste and Religious conflict, people who were involved in the riots. The the aim to please the Western artistic and prejudice, gender, and romance film depicts the conflicts and traumas that cultural sensibilities. Most Indians do not both the aggressors and the victims face in watch these films. The film garnered a number of awards the years following the riots. Films made in India by Indians have in India. It is set in Bengal where a Mus- a different story grammar, take up local lim man (Raja Chowdhury) travels to Ramayana (The epic story of Prince Rama) themes, and use traditional story-telling Calcutta with a South Indian Brahmin Language: Hindi methods. Emotional expressions take the woman (Meenakshi Iyer) and her infant Theme: Indian mythology form of song and dance and the joys and son who he promises to look after for the sorrows are not muted, like they are in duration of the ride. The tensions that This animated version of the great a Western context. Thus viewers have a arise between the couple because of their Indian epic, Ramayana, traces the 7th much more intimate glimpse into ordinary different religious affiliations are very incarnation of the supreme god Visnu, lives in India. sensitively portrayed by the actors. Their one of the three major gods in the Hindu In the following section, I have listed journey is disrupted by some fanatic Hin- pantheon. Rama is the first of four sons and described some acclaimed feature films dus who are hunting for Muslims. The rest to King Dhirutharashtra. Even though that have dealt with the central themes of of the film is about how Meenakshi and he is the rightful heir to the throne of the Indian life and culture. I have not included Raja take care of each other in the difficult kingdom of Ayodhya, his stepmother forces films (except one) that have been produced circumstances that ensue. The violence in his ill father to hand over the kingdom to and directed by movie-makers outside of the film is implied, more than it is explicit, his brother Bharatha. Bharatha refuses the sub-continent, even though they may which makes it ideal for both middle and his mother’s wishes to ascend the throne, have been popular with Westerners. secondary school students. but Rama convinces him to rule while he is banished to the forest for 14 years. The film follows his adventures, culminating in Rama’s final battle with the demon king

WINTER 2010 53 Promising Practices

Ravana. Through his many adventures his Swadesh: We, the people and claim the land. Suddenly Ashoka constant companions are his wife Sita and (Made in India: We the People) remembers his grandfather’s words that his brother Laxman. Language: Hindi sword when unsheathed constantly Themes: Community action, social claims blood. He undergoes a tremendous Mahabharatha justice, modern India’s development transformation of heart and converts to Language: English choices Buddhism. He gives up his throne and Theme: Indian mythology dedicates his life to spreading his message This is a relatively recent release star- of peace. This is the only foreign production ring Shahrukh Khan, Bollywood’s hottest that I have included in this collection, since star. Mohan Bhargava, a scientist, is a Junoon (Mutiny) there is no other film that entirely captures man of Indian origins who has lived in the Language: Hindi much of the long Indian epic Mahabharata. U.S.A. for many years. He returns to India The film narrates the story of two warring Themes: The 1857 Indian Mutiny for a holiday only to be morally and ethi- against the British, British Indian families, the Pandava brothers who are cally challenged by the terrible injustice five in number and the Kaurava brothers relationships, Social class during in the countryside where his family lived. British rule who number one hundred. The feud ends At first, he refuses to acknowledge the ex- in an eighteen day war where the righteous istence of poverty and then denies that he 1857 was an important year in the Pandavas win against the evil Kauravas. is personally responsible for changing the struggle for independence by Indians. system in any way. Eventually, he is forced There was a huge uprising by Indian sol- Akaler Sandhane (In Search of Famine) to confront the role that professionals like diers in the employment of the Britishers. Language: Bengali him have played in the socially unequal Even though it failed to overthrow the Themes: Rural poverty and activism society that exists in India and the positive British government in India, it did result influence that he could have in changing in tremendous changes in what the Indian In 1943 a massive famine kills five mil- the situation. masses thought was possible. The film is lion Bengalis; the famine was not natural but set amidst the chaos of the mutiny right was the result of war. In 1980 a film crew The Legend of Bhagat Singh after the leader of the Indian insurgents, arrives on the site to document the famine. Mangal Pandey, was killed. Romance, Language: Hindi As the movie develops the present begins to jealousy, and family squabbles all get full Themes: The Indian Freedom resemble the past and there are weird omens play as the Indian elite struggled to iden- Struggle, Bhagat Singh, social of the future resembling the present. tify their loyalties and the British march inequality into Delhi. The Apu trilogy (The three stories of Apu) The film is the story of one of the Language: Bengali key leaders in the Indian independence Parineeta (A Married Woman) movement from British rule. He was born Themes: Gender, poverty, social class, Language: Hindi in 1908 in Punjab where he grew up wit- and work and family life Themes: Love and faith, social class nessing numerous atrocities committed The three films depict the life of Apu on Indians who dared to challenge British This was a low budget film that was from birth to young adulthood. Following rule. In college, he was exposed to social- a huge box-office hit in India. It is a light, are the three films in order of chronology: ism and he decided that freedom can have entertaining film, but it does explore the Pather Panchali (The song of the road) no value without class and caste equal- issue of class and gender in Calcutta of is the story of Apu’s birth and childhood ity. He sacrificed himself to the cause of the 1960s. Lolita, a young orphan girl, in a small village in Bengal. His father is independence and social change. Initially befriends a rich boy, Shekhar, in her neigh- an aspiring but frustrated writer and his he was a member of the Congress Party borhood and they form a deep friendship. mother has to raise his sister and he with along with Gandhi; he later left the Party His greedy father however, eyes Shekhar’s the meager income that his father brings. and started his own agitation because he huge hereditary mansion and wants to Yet Pather Panchali brims with the in- felt the Congress Party was not really chal- grab it to convert it into a hotel. The fa- nocence and joy of childhood. lenging the deeply embedded inequalities ther attempts to create distance between Aparajito (The undefeated) depicts in Indian society. The film stays faithful Shekhar and Lolita. Eventually of course, the middle childhood of Apu in Varanasi, to the life of Bhagat Singh while exploring love triumphs! the holiest city in India for Hindus. The little known details about his life. passing away of his father brings new Makhdee (Spider) challenges to the family. Asoka Apu Sansar (The World of Apu) depicts Language: Hindi Apu as a young man forced to assume the Language: Hindi Themes: Gender, childhood responsibilities of adulthood at too young Themes: Asoka, Non-violence, adventures, friendship and sibling an age. Buddhism relationships The film depicts the life of Ashoka (3rd The film depicts life in a village century), a great Maurya king and warrior through the eyes of two girl children who who conquers almost all of North India. happen to be twins. Legend in the village His many battles lead him to the bloody has it that there is a very old witch who fields of Kalinga where Ashoka’s army had lives outside the village who changes managed to decimate the local population children into animals. One of the twins

MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION 54 Promising Practices wanders into the witch’s mansion and is Released in 2008 as a joint Indian- ment. Amar falls in love with her. How- transformed into a hen. The rest of the Pakistani venture, the film attempts to ever, she will have nothing to do with him story follows the other twin as she rescues explore the devastating impact the India and spurns his attentions repeatedly. He her twin from the clutches of the witch. Pakistan border has had on communities returns to New Delhi and his family, which in either side of the divide. Ramchand is an has arranged a marital alliance for him. As Manthan (The Churning) eight-year old low caste Hindu boy living the preparations for his wedding proceeds on the Pakistani side of the border. After Language: Hindi he meets Meghna again and this time she having wandered into the Indian side of Themes: Community organizing, is staying as a paying guest at his house. collective farming the border, he is caught by some Indian The rest of the film is a heart-wrenching soldiers. His father, having followed him, examination of the impact of injustice on The story is set in Gujerat, amidst the tries to have them both extricated from the the marginalized and whether violence is ‘White revolution of India.’ In the 1970s, border police, but fails. They are held in an really a moral response from the disenfran- for the first time in its history, farmer’s Indian jail for the next five years; in the chised. cooperatives around the buying and sell- meantime, their community in Pakistan ing of milk and milk products, began to suffers from local oppression by money- Notes and Resources take root in several rural areas in India. lenders and land-lords. Eventually, the The film traces the initial challenges that boy is set free and he makes his way back Indian cinema typically includes songs organizers faced as they tried to organize to his village where his mother awaits his and dance numbers that Western audi- farmers into a collective union. The film arrival. ences may find distracting. However, the was financed by the Gujarat Co-operative songs are an integral part of the story and Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. (GCMMF) Bombay (Mumbai) will give Western students an appreciation which had a membership of 500,000 people. of Indian art. It would make for an inter- Language: Hindi and Tamil All the members contributed $2.00 each to- esting discussion to explore differences Themes: Religion and conflict, the wards the making of the film. Today, most between the grammer and formula of a Mumbai riots of 1992 milk in India comes from a gigantic grid of successful Indian film versus a traditional milk cooperatives. Bombay explores issues of religious Hollywood film. The film depicts the experiences of Dr. differences and communal violence. The following are sources that explore Kurien, who is often called the “The father Shekhar (a Hindu) is a journalism stu- Indian cinema from historical, cultural, of the white revolution.” As he attempts to dent from Bombay who falls in love with economic, and sociological perspectives: a Muslim girl, Shaila Bano, in his village organize farmers, he faces resistance from Derek Bose. (2006). Brand Bollywood: A new the middle-men who had been making in Tamilnadu. Facing considerable family global entertainment order. London, UK, enough profit from the feudal arrangements opposition to their union, the couple flees New Delhi, India, & Thousand Oaks, CA: that were prevalent, as well as farmers back to Bombay and gets married quietly. Sage Publications. themselves who feared for their welfare in As they begin their adjustment as a fam- Sumita Chakravarty. (1996). National identity this confrontation. The attempt at forming ily in the big city of Bombay, there is an in Indian popular cinema, 1947-1987. New a collective throws prevailing caste and outbreak of religious violence. The events Delhi, India: Oxford University Press. gender relationships into chaos and creates in the film coincide with the razing of a Rachel Dwyer. (2005). 100 Bollywood films. London, UK: BFI Publishing. famous mosque by a Hindu fundamental- the space for enormous change. Dinesh Raheja & Jitendra Kothari. (2004). In- ist group in 1992 in the Hindu holy city dian cinema: The Bollywood saga. London, Thanneer Thanneer (Water Water) of Ayodhya. After the destruction of the UK: Aurum Press. mosque there were riots across several Language: Tamil Ashish Rajadhyaksha & Paul Willemen. (1994). cities in Bombay, resulting in the violence Encyclopaedia of Indian cinema. New Delhi, Themes: Community organizing, India: Oxford University Press. water issues and the killing of people, mostly Muslim. Shekhar and Shailo Bano stand as a tes- Jyotika Virdi. (2003). The cinematic imagina- Set in Athipattu in Tamilnadu, Than- tament to the unity of India as a nation tion: Indian popular films as social history. New Brunswick, NJ, & London, UK: Rutgers neer Thanneer depicts the struggle of a as they are perceived as enemies by both University Press. parched village to bring water to quench Muslims and Hindus amidst Bombay’s its thirst. While many politicians make communal riots. The film explores issues promises to bring water to the village, not related to dogmatism and fundamental- one elected official fulfills those promises. ism of religious beliefs. Amidst this terrible situation, a fugitive seeks refuge in the village and what fol- Dil Se (From the Heart) lows is an escalating conflict between the Language: Hindi government and the villagers, as they at- Themes: Terrorism, romance tempt to organize and take matters into their own hands. Journalist Amar Varma is sent by his newspaper to the very troubled region of Ramchand Pakistani Assam to report about attitudes towards (Ramchand From Pakistan) India’s 50th anniversary of independence from the British. He meets the beautiful Language: Hindi Meghna in one of the towns most plagued Themes: India Pakistan border conflict, social class, gender by insurgency against the Indian govern-

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