Papers by Anugyan Nag
An iconic filmmaker and inheritor of the legendary Satyajit Ray’s legacy, Rituparno Ghosh was one... more An iconic filmmaker and inheritor of the legendary Satyajit Ray’s legacy, Rituparno Ghosh was one of the finest auteurs to emerge out of contemporary Bengal. His films, though rooted firmly in middle-class values, desires and aspirations, are highly critical of hetero-patriarchal power structures. From the very outset, Ghosh displayed a strong feminist sensibility which later evolved into radical queer politics.
This volume analyses his films, his craft, his stardom and his contribution to sexual identity politics. In this first scholarly study undertaken on Rituparno Ghosh, the essays discuss the cultural import of his work within the dynamics of a rapidly evolving film industry in Bengal and more largely the cinematic landscape of India. The anthology also contains a conversation section (interviews with the filmmaker and with industry cast and crew) drawing a critical and personal portrait of this remarkable filmmaker.
Routledge India, Nov 19, 2015
An iconic filmmaker and inheritor of the legendary Satyajit Ray’s legacy, Rituparno Ghosh was one... more An iconic filmmaker and inheritor of the legendary Satyajit Ray’s legacy, Rituparno Ghosh was one of the finest auteurs to emerge out of contemporary Bengal. His films, though rooted firmly in middle-class values, desires and aspirations, are highly critical of hetero-patriarchal power structures. From the very outset, Ghosh displayed a strong feminist sensibility which later evolved into radical queer politics. This volume analyses his films, his craft, his stardom and his contribution to sexual identity politics. In this first scholarly study undertaken on Rituparno Ghosh, the essays discuss the cultural import of his work within the dynamics of a rapidly evolving film industry in Bengal and more largely the cinematic landscape of India. The anthology also contains a conversation section (interviews with the filmmaker and with industry cast and crew) drawing a critical and personal portrait of this remarkable filmmaker.
Acta Orientalia Vilnensia, 2011
The 1980–90s was a turbulent period for the Bengali cinema, the events being triggered by a serie... more The 1980–90s was a turbulent period for the Bengali cinema, the events being triggered by a series of industrial problems, the anxiety of a new film public and the pressing necessity for newer forms of articulation. During this time, Bengali popular cinema responded with newer genres of narratives (elaborated later) that emerged from dissimilar aesthetic positions and different social perspectives. But it is unfortunate that instead of engaging with this diverse range of film making practices, the journalistic and academic discourses on the 1980–90s Bengali cinema present only the ‘crisis-ridden’ scenarios of the Bengali film industry―suffering from multiple problems. Interestingly, this marginalized and unacknowledged cinema of the 1980–90s almost became synonymous to the concept of the ‘B-grade’ cinema, although it is not similar in formation, circulation and reception like the other established B-circuit or B-grade cinemas across the world. This paper a...
South Asian Popular Culture, May 3, 2016
Abstract In this paper, we study some of the politics involved in representing neighbouring count... more Abstract In this paper, we study some of the politics involved in representing neighbouring country Pakistan with reference to the launching of a new television channel in India, Zindagi/Life. Zindagi was launched on 23 June 2014 and owned by the Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. which airs syndicated television shows from Pakistan. Zindagi became the first ever general entertainment channel (GEC) in India to air syndicated content from Pakistan. Our paper aims to explore how in the popular teleserials of Zindagi the representation of the ‘other’ (here Pakistan and its people) has become part of the viewing practices for Indian audiences. The present context of the Indian political and media scenario (after BJP came to power in the last Lok Sabha election in 2014) with national GECs’ increasing involvement in telecasting Hindu mythological and historical serials makes the airing of Zindagi more interesting (In the last Lok Sabha elections (2014), Bharatiya Janata Party (which formed the government with maximum majority) campaigned extensively through state-run and private-owned satellite television networks. Following this, it is imperative to note how in the recent years National General Entertainment channels actively engaged in telecasting Hindu mythological and historical serials like Devo Ka Dev Mahadev (Life OK, December 2011–2014), Mahabharat (Star Plus, September 2013–August 2014), Siya Ke Ram (Star Plus, 2015–2016), Sankat Mochan Mahabali Hanuman (SONY, 2015), Bharat Ke Veer Putra Maharana Pratap (SONY, May 2013–December 2015), Chandragupta Maurya (Imagine/Dangal TV, March 2011–April 2012/December 2014), Dharti Ke Veer Yodha Prithvi Raj Chauhan (Star Plus, 2006–2009), Veer Shivaji (Colors, September 2011–May 2012) and Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat (Colors, 2015–2016).). Amidst such a context of politics and television programming that fiercely focused around a monolithic construct of Hindu culture, identity and history, Zindagi enters the Indian satellite market by telecasting Pakistani social lives and raising questions on representing the ‘other’ for the Indian viewers. The channel has been well received by the Indian print and electronic media (For instance, one can see articles like ‘5 reasons that make Zee’s new channel “Zindagi” a must-watch’ (dnaindia, 20 June 2014) ‘Bye-bye unending television dramas, welcome Zindagi’ (Times of India, 1 July 2014), ‘Zindagi Gulzar Hai: cross-border love on screen’ ( Hindustan Times, 7 June 2014), etc.). Reports of rising TRPs of teleserials like Humsafar and Zindagi Gulzar Hai (on Zindagi) were published in the popular press, which along with social networking sites generated stardom discourses around actors like Fawad Khan. With reference to the politics of representing a neighbouring country and Muslim identity on Indian television, our paper explores questions including couple space and conjugality in the teleserial narratives of Zindagi. Our article discusses two teleserials, Zindagi Gulzar Hain and Humsafar, focusing on how the portrayal of Muslim men and women on Zindagi marks a departure from the stereotypical representation of Muslim characters in Indian cinema and television.
Journal of Islamic and Muslim Studies , 2020
reference#references_tab_contents You may need to log in to JSTOR to access the linked references... more reference#references_tab_contents You may need to log in to JSTOR to access the linked references. JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].
The 1980–90s was a turbulent period for the Bengali cinema, the events being triggered by a serie... more The 1980–90s was a turbulent period for the Bengali cinema, the events being triggered by a series of industrial problems, the anxiety of a new film public and the pressing necessity for newer forms of articulation. During this time, Bengali popular cinema responded with newer genres of narratives (elaborated later) that emerged from dissimilar aesthetic positions and different social perspectives. But it is unfortunate that instead of engaging with this diverse range of film making practices, the journalistic and academic discourses on the 1980–90s Bengali cinema present only the 'crisis-ridden' scenarios of the Bengali film industry―suffering from multiple problems. Interestingly, this marginalized and unacknowledged cinema of the 1980– 90s almost became synonymous to the concept of the 'B-grade' cinema, although it is not similar in formation, circulation and reception like the other established B-circuit or B-grade cinemas across the world. This paper aims to criticize this simpler 'crisis narrative' scenario by looking at the categories of class and audience and questioning the relevance of issues related to the popularity of these films. In brief, our article aims to problematize the notion of what is 'B-grade' cinema in the context of the Bengali cinema of the 1980–90s and by referring to this film culture, it tries to open up some other possibilities to which this notion can refer.
In this paper, we study some of the politics involved in representing neighbouring country Pakist... more In this paper, we study some of the politics involved in representing neighbouring country Pakistan with reference to the launching of a new television channel in India, Zindagi/Life. Zindagi was launched on 23 June 2014 and owned by the Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. which airs syndicated television shows from Pakistan. Zindagi became the first ever general entertainment channel (GEC) in India to air syndicated content from Pakistan. Our paper aims to explore how in the popular teleserials of Zindagi the representation of the ‘other’ (here Pakistan and its people) has become part of the viewing practices for Indian audiences.
In this paper, we study some of the politics involved in representing neighbouring country Pakist... more In this paper, we study some of the politics involved in representing neighbouring country Pakistan with reference to the launching of a new television channel in India, Zindagi/Life. Zindagi was launched on 23 June 2014 and owned by the Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. which airs syndicated television shows from Pakistan. Zindagi became the first ever general entertainment channel (GEC) in India to air syndicated content from Pakistan. Our paper aims to explore how in the popular teleserials of Zindagi the representation of the ‘other’ (here Pakistan and its people) has become part of the viewing practices for Indian audiences.
Acta Orientalia Vilnensia, 2011
The 1980-90s was a turbulent period for the Bengali cinema, the events being triggered by a serie... more The 1980-90s was a turbulent period for the Bengali cinema, the events being triggered by a series of industrial problems, the anxiety of a new film public and the pressing necessity for newer forms of articulation. During this time, Bengali popular cinema responded with newer genres of narratives (elaborated later) that emerged from dissimilar aesthetic positions and different social perspectives. But it is unfortunate that instead of engaging with this diverse range of film making practices, the journalistic and academic discourses on the 1980-90s Bengali cinema present only the 'crisis-ridden' scenarios of the Bengali film industry-suffering from multiple problems. Interestingly, this marginalized and unacknowledged cinema of the 1980-90s almost became synonymous to the concept of the 'B-grade' cinema, although it is not similar in formation, circulation and reception like the other established B-circuit or B-grade cinemas across the world. This paper aims to criticize this simpler 'crisis narrative' scenario by looking at the categories of class and audience and questioning the relevance of issues related to the popularity of these films. In brief, our article aims to problematize the notion of what is 'B-grade' cinema in the context of the Bengali cinema of the 1980-90s and by referring to this film culture, it tries to open up some other possibilities to which this notion can refer.
Articles in Digital and Print Media by Anugyan Nag
Uploads
Papers by Anugyan Nag
This volume analyses his films, his craft, his stardom and his contribution to sexual identity politics. In this first scholarly study undertaken on Rituparno Ghosh, the essays discuss the cultural import of his work within the dynamics of a rapidly evolving film industry in Bengal and more largely the cinematic landscape of India. The anthology also contains a conversation section (interviews with the filmmaker and with industry cast and crew) drawing a critical and personal portrait of this remarkable filmmaker.
Articles in Digital and Print Media by Anugyan Nag
https://thewire.in/film/sridevi-dancing-queen-queer-icon
This volume analyses his films, his craft, his stardom and his contribution to sexual identity politics. In this first scholarly study undertaken on Rituparno Ghosh, the essays discuss the cultural import of his work within the dynamics of a rapidly evolving film industry in Bengal and more largely the cinematic landscape of India. The anthology also contains a conversation section (interviews with the filmmaker and with industry cast and crew) drawing a critical and personal portrait of this remarkable filmmaker.
https://thewire.in/film/sridevi-dancing-queen-queer-icon