Customer Reviews

National Identity in Indian Popular Cinema, 1947-1987

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The problem with all Indian cultural analysts living outside India including those writing on cinema is that while they fulfill a mandatory understanding of the cultural theories in vogue at the undergraduate level in the US, Europe and Australia, they display a singular lack of sensitivity while dealing with the material at hand. Their survival, therefore, depends almost entirely on their reader's lack of knowledge of the field of study which will include amongst other things the native language, the local history as well as the local lores. On all these counts Ms Chakravarty's book is sadly lacking in a defined sincerity of purpose. There are pieces of information which cannot bear testimony - the relationship of Ali Akbar Khan with the Navketan Productions, for one. There are descriptions - such as the music composer SD Burman being described as a baul singer - which are downright ridiculous. And, of course, her command of the Hindi language is unquestionably poor! Surely the West and the East deserve a better introduction to the Indian cinema than this book.

Anyone who is a fan of the hindi film genre must read this book. It goes in depth on how the film industry aided India gain national pride during early years of independence and how it became the national pastime. I recomend this book to Indians and NRI's alike!

This book offers an in depth study of Indian popular cinema, concentrating mainly on films made during the 1950's and 60's after India gained nationhood. The book provides insight into how Indian cinema dramatically influenced popular culture by reinforcing values or creating new ones, and highlighting/recreating Indian history through film. The book also sheds a great deal of light on the symbolisim that is a part of all Indian films. I would reccomend this book to anyone who has a love of Indian cinema or who may want to learn more about it. A good historical analysis with many good photos.

As a student of cinema and history, I am amazed at the attention this book on the popular Indian cinema has been able to garner. The book is full of such obvious howlers as for instance the translation of BR Chopra's "Naya Daur" as not the "New Epoch" but as the "New Race". It seems that the writer has been somewhat overwhelmed by the rural tonga race included in the film. I wonder if, with that kind of understanding of the broadly "Hindustani" language, it is really possible to write the kind of seminal film and cultural study that this book is being so unabashedly advertised as by the likes of Robert Stam and the OUPs of this planet. Having gone through the book I have been able to find at least 71 similar mistakes. Just because India is far off and Hindustani an unknown quantity, one doesn't have to jump to Ms Chakravarty's defence.