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2.Jayalekshmi International Multidisciplinary e –Journal.Author:( Jayalekshmi N S, Dr. Babitha Justin )(07-16) The Householder : A Comedy within the Times of Nehruvian Nationalism Jayalekshmi N S. 1Research Scholar, Dept. of Humanities, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Kerala Dr. Babitha Justin. 2Assistant Professor, Dept. of Humanities, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Kerala Abstract: It is obvious that the Bollywood movies of the early postcolonial period had a poignant played up social angle as they served as excellent commentaries on the socio-political conditions of the new-born nation. In contrast to Bollywood movies of the time, James Ivory’s The Householder documents Nehruvian nationalism through a transnational lens. As the debut feature film of Merchant-Ivory Productions, it orientalises the ethos and class struggles through the middle class Prem, who later becomes the mouthpiece of Nehru, in his attitudes and achievements. This paper critically analyses the gendered portrayal of Indian middle class in an age of various socio-cultural transitions,with reference to the conflicts of tradition and modernity, Eastern and Western philosophy of life and nostalgia of the perplexed protagonists. Key words: Post-Independent India, Bollywood films, Nehruvian nationalism, nostalgia, class struggles. Introduction Bollywood films of the 1960s replicate various socio-political ethos and anxieties of the new born nation, India. Through irony and sarcasm, these films chronicle“a class angle, with the commonplace experience of the relatively powerless youth opposed with the obstacles of class, gender, caste, societal norms and time” (Marteinson, 2006). According to Mridula Mukherjee, the former Director of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) “the www.shreeprakashan.com Id: [email protected], Vol-IV, Issue–XI,Nov,2015.Page 7 International Multidisciplinary e –Journal.Author:( Jayalekshmi N S, Dr. Babitha Justin )(07-16) Nehruvian years (1947-1964) were an extremely creative and innovative period of Bombay cinema that demonstrated exciting developments in all its fields.’(Appendix A)Both the Indian and foreign film production companies of the time document the ebullience and lethargy of the Nehruvian dialectics. This paper discusses the representation of Nehruvian nationalism in The Householder (1963), the debut film of the Merchant- Ivory collaboration , with respect to the Bollywood movies of the selected year. It also critiques the subtle comic reverberation of the Nehruvian India, portrayed through the initial complications of a newly married couple- Indu and Prem. Ismail Merchant’s “fascination for the English way of life” and James Ivory’s experiences with Delhi along with Isobel Lennart’s interest in Ruth Prawer Jhabvala’s novel The Householder resulted in the creation of the Merchant-Ivory Production (MIP) and their first feature film in 1963. 1 Inspired by SatyajitRay’s film pattern, MIP madetheir first Indian movie“in the English language which is much more international and has a bigger market” (Merchant, 4). The Householder , an adaptation of Jahabvala’s novel (1960), begins with quotes from Manu Smrti , a text in Hinduism which was elevated to unimaginable canonical heights by colonial scholarship. This quote underpins the role of a householder ( Grihastha) as superior to other Asramas of human life- Brahmacharya, Vanaprasta and Sanyasa . Through flashbacks and reminiscences, the movie satirizes the Hindu philosophical definition of the householder. Though the basic theme of the movie is centered on the changing nuances of familial bonding and responsibilities among middleclass Indians, as the plot evolves, the protagonist becomes the mouthpiece of Nehru, struggling to perform his role effectively. This paper critically analyses the movie as a visual representation of Nehruvian cultural landscape in an age of conflicting ideasin the new born cities,which are “not only the symbol of a new sovereignty but an effective engine to drive India into the modern world.” (Khilnani, 1998). Tradition vs Modernity Dilemmas of the newly Independent nation under the leadership of Nehru include displacement of the rural migrants, their maladjustment with the rapidly industrializing urban spaces, and, “dissatisfaction with the culture of the present” (Hutcheon, 1998). As an independent production company, MIP has created “an intimate group of characters” 2 (Trojan, 43), symbolic of different attitudes and cultures’ (Ivory 43).The expository shots of the movie place the protagonists, Indu and Prem, discussing of a marriage function on the open terrace of their rented home, in a misty morning. This awakening of slumbering India is portrayed in the background of the dome of Zeenat Masjid. Through this scene, the movie introduces an antique India; a symbiotic blend of Hindu and Islamic cultures. The stereotypical portrayals of Indu, as a rustic belle, anxious to travel by bus and to settle in city 3and her dissatisfied mother-in-law, represent the clashes of emerging modernity and fading tradition. Contrasting gender perceptions of landscape and the changing modes of travel enforce the middle-class confusion prevalent in India during that time. Prem’s mother, as an embodiment of obsolete belief systems, scornfully calls Indu a ‘modern girl’, who can’t keep a house, as she fails to ‘put everything in order’. Collisions of the past and the present 1Raw, Lawrence. (Ed.) 2012. Merchant-Ivory Interviews . University Press of Mississippi. Titled, “James Ivory and Ismail Merchant: An Interview” by Jag Mohan, Basu Chatterjee, and ArunKaul/ 1968 (From Close-Up no. 2 (October/December 1968): 5-19, 46.) 2 Raw, Lawrence. (Ed.) 2012. Merchant-Ivory Interviews . University Press of Mississippi. “The Merchant-Ivory Synthesizers” by Judith Trojan/1974 (From Take One 4, no. 9 (January-February 1974): 14-17.) 3As she “has seen enough cows, fields, wells… and wants to see more people, cars and buses”. www.shreeprakashan.com Id: [email protected], Vol-IV, Issue–XI,Nov,2015.Page 8 International Multidisciplinary e –Journal.Author:( Jayalekshmi N S, Dr. Babitha Justin )(07-16) are ambivalent in the professional life of Prem also, as he faces problems from his seniorhumiliating colleague, Prof. Chadha. While Prem and Indu struggle as displaced youth, Bobo symbolizes the disturbed upper- middle class girl, going beyond the traditional biases of womanhood as she smokes and dances in public, in an exotic way. Bobo’s western demeanor differentiates her from other Indian women, as she goes beyond the ghar -bahir dichotomy prevalent in the time. In the words of Partha Chatterjee, any encroachment towards modernity is considered as ‘synonymous to eradication of one’s identity’ (Chatterjee, 239). Bobo’s twist dance complicates the Eastern and Western concepts of aesthetics and self-expression. Prem’s astonishing commentary on her dance to Indu and Indu’s imitation of that in an Indian version bring to screen the cultural cleavage of different classes in India. Prem’s mother’s intrusion to the screen exemplifies “urban anxiety about women’s sexuality” (Mazumdar, 2007) and the prevalent biases on women’s connections with the public space. Confrontation of nationalism and colonialism resulted in the definition of new margins for women. Like the house-owner’s wife, women of the upper-middle class were secluded in the andarmahals, indulged in needle work, as an imitation of the West. 4 The narrative of the movie revolves around the public and personal lives of Prem as he moves between his official and domestic spaces, i.e., the puram and akam spaces of his personality. The problems and conflicts he faces resemble the chaos one has to experience as a householder. Long criticizes Prem, an embodiment of the “ingenuous Indian youth, previously sheltered by his family” assuming the responsibilities of a householder as he seeks “guidance from his elders, whose examples of blunted sensibility or resignation close all avenues to expansion” (43). Compared to Prem, his wife’s less involvement in the public sphere illustrates the contemporary status of middleclass housewives. She is placed against the women of upper- middle class with respect to her lack of exposure in the public space. Indu’s behavior in the tea-party organized by Mr. Khanna illustrates her timidity. Absence of women characters, either as students or as teachers in Prem’s college reflect the limited educationalexposure of women. In Nehruvian time, ‘challenging the patriarchal ethos of our society had never been on the agenda of the Indian state … women were back to their iconic roles within the family (where women education as a means to) better homes, better family and better society’ (Banerjee 1998, 2-6). 5Popular fictions of the Nehruvian time also shares the ‘ambiguous’ women, preserving their ‘traditional roles and conventional gender relationships’ (Ghosh, 2001). At the end of the movie, as an indication of modernity, Indu rises to the level of the house owner’s wife as she engages in needle work during her free time.As Chaudhuri mentions, though men are normally not defined in terms of traditional or modern, their “purported attitude” (Chaudhuri, 278) towards women, especially on their names, as Prem is interested in modern names like ‘Nimmi’ than ‘Indu’, define it. Though he cannot accept Bobo as an Indian women because of her behavior in public (open) space, he cannot consider Indu as a modern women, who does not know how to behave in the public. That is, a perfect Indian
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