ASCL 52.04 From Bombay to Bollywood and Beyond: History of and through the Hindi Film

India’s film industry is one of its biggest “soft power” exports. Every year, “Bollywood” (as the Hindi film industry centered in Mumbai is known) produces more films than all of America, and Bollywood is just one of the many film industries located in the country. In this course, we will focus on two aspects. First, we will think about the history of films in the region—the antecedents of film through theatre and radio, the transition to sound and the emergence of filmi music, and the different genres of what makes a typical “masala” (potboiler) Bollywood film.

The second aspect of this course is about how films are consumed and circulated in—and beyond—South Asia. In examining what makes films appeal to diverse audiences, we think about how these films were influenced by, and in turn influenced, postcolonial India’s social, class relations, politics and religion at different points of time--- from the optimism of the 1950s to the disillusionment of the 1970s and the neoliberal fantasies of early 21st century India.

Degree Requirement Attributes

Dist:SOC; WCult:NW

The Timetable of Class Meetings contains the most up-to-date information about a course. It includes not only the meeting time and instructor, but also its official distributive and/or world culture designation. This information supersedes any information you may see elsewhere, to include what may appear in this ORC/Catalog or on a department/program website. Note that course attributes may change term to term therefore those in effect are those (only) during the term in which you enroll in the course.

Department-Specific Course Categories

Asian Societies, Cultures, and Languages