The Desi Gaze

The Hubris of Capitalism: Abhimaan (1973). Directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee

Happy Karl Marx Day! In this episode Ankita is joined by Zane Merritt as they unpack the 1973 Hindi film Abhimaan [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abhimaan_(1973_film)]. Dr. Merritt is a freelance musician and academic currently residing in Buffalo New York. He holds a PhD in western classical music composition from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a Masters' degree in classical guitar performance from Butler University. He has performed his own music and those of his colleagues internationally, performing solo concerts in Toronto, New York City, and Nagoya, Japan as well as appearing as a featured soloist with the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra and the Slee Sinfonietta. As an academic, he has taught courses on composition, music theory, and vernacular music such as The Beatles and Heavy Metal. He is currently the instructor of record for "Bollywood and South Asian Cinema" at the University at Buffalo. Abhimaan stars Amitabh and Jaya Bachhan along with the phenomenal Bindu and Asrani in pivotal roles. Ankita sees this film as a befitting response to western capitalist imperialism heightening during the cold war. Whether Mukherjee intended it or not, the film is a staunch critique of hyper individualism that capitalism promotes. Hope you enjoy this episode! Write to us at thedesigazepodcast@proton.me As always, subscribe to the podcast, and don't forget to leave us a review!

The Radical Possibilities of Melodrama: Roti (1974). Direced by Manmohan Desai

In this episode, we discuss the 1974 blockbuster Hindi film Roti. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roti_(1974_film)] The film stars Rajesh Khanna, Mumtaz, Pinchoo Kapoor, Sujit, Nirupa Roy, and Om Prakash along with the who's who of 70's Bollywood. We love Roti for its stellar soundtrack but even more for the subtle pro-China subtext during the cold war era. Manmohan Desai was an expert of Masala films (a mix of genres) and here, he brilliantly uses and abuses the many possibilities of melodrama to push for a more socialist aligned narrative during a time when India was determined to stay non-aligned. Was this a result of the anti-imperialist leadership of Indira Gandhi? Or could this film be a quiet rebellion when communist movemment in India was being deliberately crushed? Many readings are possible. Write to us at thedesigazepodcast@proton.me As always, subscribe to the podcast, and don't forget to leave us a review!

Rules of Engagement! Pardesi (1957). Directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and Vasili Pronin

We bring you the first ever Hindi film jointly produced by India and the Soviet Union–the 1957 film Pardesi [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pardesi_(1957_film)] (Khozhdenie Za Tri Moray or The Foreigner), starring Oleg Strizhenov, Nargis, Padmini, and Balraj Sahani along with a special appearance by Prithviraj Kapoor. Made in Russian and Hindi, this film is a testament of Indo-Soviet solidarity. It is based on travelogues of a 15th century Russian traveler Afanasy Nikitin who wrote a memoir called A Journey Beyond the Three Seas. Ankita and Azhar discuss the importance of watching this film today, its portrayal of East-West cultural engagagement and why this film matters especially today when US imperialism has gone berserk. Here is the blog post [https://madhulikaliddle.com/2010/09/09/khozhdenie-za-tri-moray-aka-pardesi-1957/] mentioned by Ankita Also, listen to this fanstastic episode on the Soviet film Letter Never Sent [https://coldwarcinema.com/s2-ep-11-letter-never-sent-1959-mikhail-kalatozov] by Cold War Cinema podcast Write to us at thedesigazepodcast@proton.me As always, subscribe to the podcast, and don't forget to leave us a review!

Kharij, 1982, Mrinal Sen w Dr. Udita Mukherjee

Two besties analyze Mrinal Sen's powerful 1982 Bengali film Kharij [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kharij] (English translation: The Case is Dismissed). Based on the 1974 novel of the same name, the film follows a family after thier child servant dies of carbon monoxide poisoning. Dr. Udita Mukherjee [https://www.earthsciences.hku.hk/people/research_staff/49/], a geoscientist and a Bengali film enthusiast joins Dr. Ankita Rathour in unpacking the film through a Marxist-feminist lens, providing crucial insights into their own lives and the labor abuse that still defines postcolonial India. Watch this essential film, a pioneering parallel cinema that shakes the bourgeoise comforts in best ways possible. Write to us at thedesigazepodcast@proton.me As always, subscribe to the podcast, and don't forget to leave us a review!

Ankhen and India's Cold War Anxiety

Ankita and Azhar analyze India's Cold War anxities through the 1968 Hindi spy thriller Ankhen [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankhen_(1968_film)] (Eyes), directed by Ramanand Sagar. India is facing a crisis as its "enemies" are fueling riots within the nation. Concerned citizens and businessmen take it on themselves to protect national sovereignty and defeat the enemies who remain nameless and are signified through a concoction of Mao, Hitler, Napolean. Is such a muddled narrative deliberate? Is the film a cold war (US friendly) propoganda? Or is the film emblematic of India's infamous non-alignment? The co-hosts dive deeper into the meanings of the film, its value, its propagandist appeal while critiquing US imperialism's role in destablizing socialist/communist aspirations of the rising East. Write to us at thedesigazepodcast@proton.me As always, subscribe to the podcast, and don't forget to leave us a review!