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The Aesthetics of Emotional Acting: An Argument for a Rasa-based Criticism of Indian Cinema and Television PIYUSH ROY PhD South Asian Studies The University of Edinburgh 2016 1 DECLARATION This thesis has been composed by me and is my own work. It has not been submitted for any other degree or professional qualification. Piyush Roy 25 February 2017 2 For Thakuba (Aditya Prasanna Madhual), Aai (Malatilata Rout), Julki apa and Pramila Panda aunty II संप्रेषण का कोई भी माध्यम कला है और संप्रेषण का संदेश ज्ञान है. जब संदेश का उद्येश्य उत्तेजना उत्पन करता हो तब कला के उस 셂प को हीन कहते हℂ. जब संदेश ननश्वार्थ प्रेम, सत्य और महान चररत्र की रचना करता हो, तब वह कला पनवत्र मानी जाती है II ननदेशक चंद्रप्रकाश निवेदी, उपननषद् गंगा, एप. 8, ऊपवेद (2012) Any means of self-expression is an art and the message of self-expression is knowledge. When the purpose of the message creates agitation, that form of art is considered inferior. Bad arts are used only to satiate the hunger of the body and the thirst of the eyes. When the message creates selfless love, truth and great character that art is considered to be sacred. Director Chandraprakash Dwivedi, Upanishad Ganga, Ep. 8, Upaveda (2012) 3 ABSTRACT The thesis explores elements of Sanskrit drama studies, its philosophy of aesthetics, Hindu theology and Indian cinema studies. It seeks to identify and appreciate the continual influence of a pioneering and influential idea from the Indian subcontinent’s cultural memory and history – the ‘theory of aesthetics’, also known as the ‘Rasa Theory’. The rasa theory is a seminal contribution of the ancient Indian Sanskrit drama textbook, the Natyashastra, whose postulates have provided a definitive template for appreciating and analysing all major fine arts in the Indian sub-continent for over two millennia. No criticism of an art form in India is more devastating than the allegation that it is devoid of rasa. Though ‘rasa’ has many literal meanings like taste, essence and ultimately bliss, in Natyashastra it is used to signify the “essence of emotion” or the final emotional state of ‘relish/reaction/aesthetic experience’ achieved by a spectator while watching a performing art. The thesis uses this fundamental aesthetic influence from India’s cultural memory and heritage to understand its working in the shaping of emotive performances, and the structuring of multiple genre mixing narrative styles in Indian cinema. It identifies and explains how the story telling attributes in Indian cinema, still preserve, transmit and represent, drama and performance aesthetics established 2000 years ago. The chapters are divided into two sections – evidence-led correlation confirming the direct influence of Natyashastra guidelines on Indian filmmaking practices, and arguments-driven proposals on how to use the rasa theory for appreciating cinematic aesthetics. Section One, comprising of the first three chapters, engages with direct evidence of the influence and use of Natyashastra prescriptions and rasa theory expectations in the early years of Indian cinema, when the movie industry was intimately tied to theatre for creative guidance. Section Two, comprising of chapters four to six, goes beyond these conscious engagements to explore the continuing relevance of the concepts of bhava and rasa for studies and methods in film appreciation, and their potential usage in discussing alternate modes of cinematic expression, like melodrama. In this section, recommendations are made on how to re-read and review influential and representative cinematic achievements from different eras, regions and genres of Indian on-screen entertainment, using the rasa 4 theory for better understanding of foundational cinematic attributes like plot construction, performances and directorial achievement in non-realism prioritising on-screen narrations. The thesis shows how to appreciate expressive acting, song and dance performances and melodramatic narratives/ movies using the rasa theory’s prescriptions on good acting in a navarasa exploring drama. It calls for a greater engagement with the theory’s aesthetic appreciation ideas, beyond its current peripheral acknowledgement in academic scholarship as an exotic and ancient review model with doubtful contemporary relevance. My conclusions offer a valuable guide for a fair and better appreciation of dramatic, stylistic and stereotypical acting in cinema that Western models of film criticism privileging the realistic form have been inadequate in comprehending. These findings propose a mode of inclusive aesthetic criticism that enjoys broad application across a wide range of cinematic art genres and national cinema styles using non-Euro/American modes of storytelling, towards the establishment of a humanist film education. 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis is the outcome of over four years of extensive research, writing and review processes and thanks are due to many without whose guidance and support it would not have been possible. Foremost is the guidance and feedback of my supervisors Prof. Crispin Bates and Dr. Paul Dundas for their valuable time, inputs and review. I would like to thank Crispin for our endless discussions on Indian cinema, his shared passion for its pleasures and his constant encouragement for a frank articulation of strong arguments. Special thanks is due to Paul Dundas for his expository inputs on various aspects of the Sanskrit drama and the recommending of valuable textual sources that have been shaping Indian aesthetic criticism debates for over a millennium. As a film writer and critic for national Indian dailies and editor of the film magazine Stardust, the genesis of this project was kindled much before my actual undertaking of the same. Thanks are due to all the story tellers and filmmakers, I have encountered, enjoyed listening to, or watched, and who have consciously and subconsciously influenced my knowledge and expectations from a good cinematic work. The thesis features an eclectic list of interviewees, including some legendary, influential and leading stars and filmmakers from India’s multiple language cinemas. I would like to thank each of them heartily for their time, patience, offer of access and detailed interactions. Over thirty celebrity interviewees have been listed in the bibliography, but the number of interactions that have contributed to the understanding of the ideas discussed in the thesis go far beyond. Not all my interviewees have been accommodated in this thesis, but I would like to express my gratitude to the doyens of Indian cinema like Shamshad Begum, Dev Anand, Manoj Kumar, Khayyam, Gopal Ghosh, Sarat Pujari and K. Vishwanath, for sharing their lived anecdotes and memories of working in the Golden Age of Indian cinema. These have provided illuminating insights into ancient performance traditions that are still shaping film making practices in India. I would also like to thank pioneer Indian parallel cinema filmmakers Shyam Benegal, Kumar Shahani and Buddhadeb Dasgupta, leading actor of the 1970s’ New Wave 6 movement, Om Puri, popular cinema superstars Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Madhuri Dixit and Vidya Balan, legendary Kathak dance exponent Birju Maharaj, veteran choreographer Saroj Khan, writers K. Raghavendra Rao, Salim Khan and Kamlesh Pandey, acclaimed Indian National Award winning regional cinema directors S.S. Rajamouli, Prashanta Nanda, Sabyasachi Mohapatra, Paresh Mokashi, Anjali Menon and Srijit Mukherji, theatre guru Samar Nakhate and film archivist P.K. Nair for their critical insights on signature attributes of the Indian film form. I would further acknowledge the contribution of writer-director Chandraprakash Dwivedi and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik for their educative elucidations on complex Indian aesthetic philosophies and Pt. Vrajvihari Sharan for his suggesting of relevant sutras from sacred Hindu scriptures that have shaped its aesthetic concerns. Thanks are also due to Siddharth Tewary, the creative director of Mahabharat (2013-14) for hosting my stay on the lavish sets of the TV series in Umergaon (Gujarat, India), and allowing me access to on-location shooting processes and the opportunity to interview his talented team of actors and technicians. Thanks are due to my film journalist colleagues Rajiv Vijayakar, Ram Kamal Mukherjee, Surya Deo, Rajesh Naidu and Sheikh Ayaz for their passionate conversations on Indian cinema styles, and the pleasures of its masala genre, and for helping me with access to relevant sources. In Edinburgh, I would like to thank Roshini Dubey for her translations of the Tamil language terms used in the thesis, Dr. Nandini Sen and Prof. Arnab Bhattacharjee for their patient hosting and frequent