ANTH 14
Bollywood Winter 2023

This is not the current course catalog

What global film industry, known for its song-and-dance sequences, produces more than double the number of films that Hollywood makes per year? Based in Mumbai/Bombay, the Hindi-Urdu film industry is in fact the most prolific in the world (Nigeria’s is second). But there is much more to Bollywood than its iconic dances and enormous scale. Its music, dialogue, tropes and ideologies pervade everyday life in much of the Indian subcontinent to a remarkable degree; its films have spawned new religious movements and novel forms of political protest; it is a touchstone and archive of narratives of the postcolonial nation. In this introduction to Hindi-Urdu cinema students will gain an appreciation for canonical films (1950s to the present) and their cultural significance through film viewings, discussions, reading of secondary literature, and a creative project. Class will meet three times a week for a screening and discussion. Films will have English subtitles so previous knowledge of Urdu or Hindi is not required; there are no prerequisites.