University of Denver Digital Commons @ DU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 1-1-2015 Lifting the Veil on Hindi Film Song Sequences: An Approach to Analysis Maria A. Souliotis University of Denver Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd Part of the Asian Studies Commons, Ethnomusicology Commons, and the Film and Media Studies Commons Recommended Citation Souliotis, Maria A., "Lifting the Veil on Hindi Film Song Sequences: An Approach to Analysis" (2015). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1067. https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/1067 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at Digital Commons @ DU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ DU. For more information, please contact [email protected],[email protected]. LIFTING THE VEIL ON HINDI FILM SONG SEQUENCES: AN APPROACH TO ANALYSIS __________ A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of Arts and Humanities University of Denver __________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts __________ by Maria A. Souliotis November 2015 Advisor: Dr. John J. Sheinbaum ©Copyright by Maria A. Souliotis 2015 All Rights Reserved Author: Maria A. Souliotis Title: LIFTING THE VEIL ON HINDI FILM SONG SEQUENCES: AN APPROACH TO ANALYSIS Advisor: Dr. John J. Sheinbaum Degree Date: November 2015 Abstract This thesis seeks to augment previous scholarly research on Hindi film song through the presentation of a multivalent approach to thoroughly understanding and interpreting Hindi film song sequences. In a case study of the song sequence “Pard ā Haı ̃ Pard ā” (“There Is a Veil,” from Manmohan Desai’s 1977 film Amar Akbar Anthony ), the three essential elements of these sequences (on-screen visuals, text, and music) are connected to the context of South Asian history and culture to demonstrate how scholarly approaches to music, film, and cultural studies can be united to create a more interdisciplinary approach to analysis. The approach also incorporates principles of semiotics: in the case of “Pard ā Haı ̃ Pard ā,” the symbol of the veil alludes to the themes of contested spaces and tradition and modernity. Such a study offers a form of rebuttal to the argument that song sequences are “disposable”: it uncovers and draws attention to elements within the sequence that communicate meaningful cultural themes through particular musical, formal, and symbolic structures. ii Acknowledgements I would first like to thank a few key faculty members at the University of Denver for all of the guidance they have given me during my graduate studies. I particularly wish to express my deepest thanks to my advisor Dr. Jack Sheinbaum, who has gone above and beyond the call of duty in ensuring that this thesis is a work I can truly be proud of. This thesis would not have been possible without his intellectual and moral support. I would also like to acknowledge and thank Dr. Sarah Morelli, who introduced me to the world of South Asian music as a first-year graduate student. She will always be a source of inspiration to me. I am very much indebted to Dr. Antonia Banducci for always encouraging me to aim for greatness in each of my academic endeavors. I truly have the utmost respect for her and her work. I would like to give a special thanks to Dr. Diane Waldman for strengthening my confidence as a writer. Her feedback boosted my self- esteem in an enormous way. Prof. Aaron Paige deserves a special mention for the enthusiastic interest he took in my research. I genuinely appreciated our talks on all things Ethnomusicology. I am very proud to call all of these individuals my teachers and friends. I would also like to extend special thanks to Vash Doshi and CJ Garcia, two individuals who ensured the professional quality of sizable portions of this document. I wish you success in all of your future endeavors. Although I cannot mention all of them by name, I would also like to thank my friends, students, and other mentors at the University of Denver and at my alma mater, Midwestern State University, for their support. Finally, I would like to thank my family for the undying love and encouragement they have given me at all stages of my life. I love them more than they know. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter One: Introduction – Inventing a Rhetoric on Hindi Film ...................................... 1 Chapter Two: Filmic Counterpoint – The Paradigm for Analysis .................................... 12 Conceiving a Paradigm for Analysis .................................................................... 12 Background on the Source Film: Amar Akbar Anthony ....................................... 15 The Theoretical Basis for the Analytical Paradigm .............................................. 19 Chapter Three: Unveiling the Symbols of a Song Sequence ............................................ 31 An Overview of the “Pard ā Ha ĩ Pard ā” Sequence ................................................ 31 The Veil in the West ............................................................................................. 33 The Veil in the East............................................................................................... 36 Space Creation in the East .................................................................................... 41 India and the Veil .................................................................................................. 42 The Significance of “Pard ā Ha ĩ Pard ā” ................................................................ 44 Chapter Four: The Multivalent Analysis .......................................................................... 48 “Pard ā Ha ĩ Pard ā”: An Overview ......................................................................... 48 The Roles of Visual, Textual, and Musical Elements ........................................... 68 Characters: Actions and Movement .......................................................... 68 Lyrics ........................................................................................................ 78 Instruments ................................................................................................ 85 Hybridity in “Pard ā Ha ĩ Pard ā” .......................................................................... 103 Relationships to Hindi Film Song ........................................................... 104 Relationships to Qaww ālī ....................................................................... 107 The Effects of Hybridity on Levels of Musical Form......................................... 112 Text, Form, and Themes ......................................................................... 112 The Role of Text Repetition ................................................................... 123 The Role of Instrumental Music ............................................................. 128 The Heightened Role of the Qaww ālī Idiom .......................................... 132 Summary of the Analysis .................................................................................... 138 Chapter Five: Unveiling the Context of a Song Sequence ............................................. 141 Song Themes and Symbolism ............................................................................. 141 Multi-Level Form and Space Creation ............................................................... 149 Spaces of Status ...................................................................................... 150 Spaces for Musicians and Non-Musicians .............................................. 154 Stylistic Hybridity and Religious Issues ............................................................. 157 “Pard ā Ha ĩ Pard ā,” Tradition and Modernity, and the Contemporary Indian Social Order ................................................................................................................... 168 Chapter Six: Conclusion – More to Unveil..................................................................... 178 Content Considerations that Impact Analysis ..................................................... 179 “Situationality” ....................................................................................... 179 Genre ....................................................................................................... 180 iv Dance ...................................................................................................... 181 Production Patterns and Historicity .................................................................... 182 The Applicability of the Approach to Non-Hindi Language Film Industries in India .................................................................................................................... 184 The Limitations of the Viewer and Final Remarks ............................................. 186 References ....................................................................................................................... 188 Appendix A: Filmography .............................................................................................. 194 Appendix B: “Pard ā Ha ĩ Pard ā” Lyrics, Transliteration, and Translation ...................... 197 Appendix C: A Note on the Hindi Transliterations, Titles, and Translations................. 205 Appendix D: A Note on the Music ................................................................................. 207 v LIST OF TABLES