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Title: Illuminating Oppression: Bollywood and Social Justice-The films of Prakash Jha

Where & When:  April 1, 2008
                           341 Eggers Hall
                           12.30 pm

Type of Activity: Speaker

Speaking: Tula Goenka

Summary:The popular perception is that art or parallel cinema in India is the only serious cinematic movement that deals with issues of social justice.  Usually, Bollywood is dismissed as a frivolous spectacle concerned only with songs, dances, lavish sets, superstars and romance. This talk explores the idea that in reality Bollywood is much more than just superficial entertainment, where moral values play a significant role in storytelling, and where we find a broad range of different genres, ranging from the silly to the serious.  Directors such as V Shantaram, Mehboob Khan, Bimal Roy, and even Raj Kapoor have set the standards using filmi aesthetics to reveal tales of oppression.  Today, filmmakers like Prakash Jha continue to use the language of popular cinema to successfully showcase issues such as women’s rights, police brutality, communal riots and terrorism.  Artivism or activism using art continues to thrive in Bollywood.

 

 

Sponsorship: The South Asia Center

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