Browsing by Autor "Pankaj Jain"

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FromPadositoMy Name is Khan: The Portrayal of Hindu–Muslim Relations in South Asian Films
(Taylor & Francis, 2011) Pankaj Jain
The portrayal of Hindu–Muslim relations in Hindi-language films has been a topic of discussion in several recent writings; for instance, in Chadha and Kavoori [2008 Chadha , Kalyani , and Anandam P. Kavoori 2008 Exoticized, Marginalized, Demonized: The Muslim “Other” in Indian Cinema . In Global Bollywood . Anandam P. Kavoori and Aswin Punathambekar , eds. Pp. 131 – 145 . New York : New York University Press . [Google Scholar]], Hirji [2008 Hirji , Faiza 2008 Change of Pace? Islam and Tradition in Popular Indian Cinema . South Asian Popular Culture , 6 ( 1 ): 57 – 69 .[Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]], Ghuman [2006 Ghuman , Gagandeep 2006 The Muslim as the ‘Other’ in Bollywood. Countercurrents.org (February 21). http://www.countercurrents.org/arts-ghuman210206.htm (accessed July 1, 2009) . [Google Scholar]] and Rai [2003 Rai , Amit 2003 Patriotism and the Muslim Citizen in Hindi Films . Harvard Asia Quarterly , 7 ( 3 ) (online publication) . [Google Scholar]]. These articles mostly argue that Muslims in Hindi films are “exoticized, marginalized, and demonized and they are portrayed as the ‘other.’” To test this thesis I surveyed several films and found that Hindi films themselves are being stereotyped, based on their recent portrayal of Muslims. As an example, I will first examine an article by Booth [2004 Booth , Greg 2004 Pandits in the Movies: Contesting the Identity of Hindustani Classical Music and Musicians in the Hindi Popular Cinema . Asian Music: Journal of the Society for Asian Music , 36 ( 1 ): 60 – 86 .[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]] which argues that Muslims were the political Other even in some older films. I will then compare Mishra's article [2002 Mishra , Vijay 2002 Bollywood Cinema: Temples of Desire . New York : Routledge . [Google Scholar]] with Lal [1998 Lal , Vinay 1998 The Impossibility of the Outsider in the Modern Hindi Film . In The Secret Politics of Our Desires: Innocence, Culpability and Indian Popular Cinema . Ashis Nandy , ed. Pp. 228 – 259 . London : Zed Books . [Google Scholar]] in light of the film Khalnayak; and then, following Lal, I will provide my own analysis of some films that are woven around the relationship of Hindus with Muslims but have escaped the attention of film scholars. Although the recent upsurge in “cinepatriotism” and “Hinduness” in Hindi films is (rightly) criticized by scholars, in this article, I look at examples from several films to argue that secularism, embraced by films such as Padosi [1941] and Hum ek hain [1946], has been maintained by most Indian filmmakers. I discuss these films in four categories: India–Pakistan partition, Hindu–Muslim violence, Hindu–Muslim friendly relations, and films about modern Muslim communities. Although most of the films I discuss are Hindi ones I will also make brief references to Pakistani, Bengali-language and other South Asian films.
Sara Jahan Hamara: Indian Films and Their Portrayal of Foreign Destinations
(Taylor & Francis, 2019) Pankaj Jain
This article explores the connection of Hindi and Tamil films with outbound tourism from India. Some of the older Hindi and Tamil films portrayed foreign locations and their cultures in quite critical ways. Often protagonists in earlier films would go for a short trip abroad for immediate career-related needs and then return faithfully to their motherland. However, after the 1990s, Indians emerged as a confident globe-trotting people covering the entire planet for their career as well as tourism needs. This changing national trend accordingly found a voice in contemporary films too. Additionally, Indian films are increasingly sought after by dozens of countries from many parts of the world, not just by their respective consumers but also by their respective tourism boards and other agencies, so as to promote inbound tourism by Indians to those countries. Finally, this article concludes with the postmodern analysis of some of the contemporary Hindi films in the 21st century that are transcending spatial and other kinds of barriers in a truly globalized world.
Such a Long Journey: Portrayal of the Parsi Community in Films
(Taylor & Francis, 2011) Pankaj Jain
Abstract The early Indian film industry was dominated by Parsis (followers of the Zoroastrian faith), as has been widely noted by scholars, for instance by Rajadhyaksha and Willemen [(1999)2008: 171] and Dwyer [Citation2006]. The most notable founding fathers of the Indian film industry were Ardesh Irani, Sohrab Modi and the Wadia brothers. Among noted Parsi actors were David in the past, and Boman Irani in current Hindi films. Similarly the popular singer Alisha Chenai and the choreographer Shiamak Davar are also of this community. However, despite their acknowledged roles “behind-the-screen,” their portrayal “on-the-screen” is rarely discussed. To fill this gap, I am surveying in this article films in which Parsis take leading or supporting roles. Additional informationNotes on contributorsPankaj Jain PANKAJ JAIN is the author of Sustenance and Sustainability: Dharma and Ecology of Hindu Communities [2011] and has published in Religious Studies Review, Worldviews, Religion Compass, Journal of Vaishnava Studies, Union Seminary Quarterly Review and Visual Anthropology. His research interests include Hinduism, Jainism, environmental ethics, Indian films, Indo-Aryan languages and literatures. He has taught at North Carolina State University, Rutgers, Kean and New Jersey City Universities. He is now exploring connections between religious traditions and sustainability in Hindu and Jain communities in North Texas. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Iowa and an M.A. from Columbia University, both in Religious Studies.