Message-Id: <199711270829.DAA17254@h-net.msu.edu>
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 08:36:26 +0000
Sender: H-Net list for Asian History and Culture <H-ASIA@h-net.msu.edu>
From: Richard White <raw997@aber.ac.uk>
Subject: H-ASIA: Classical Ind. Culture and Film
To: Multiple recipients of list H-ASIA <H-ASIA@H-NET.MSU.EDU>

Response to earlier query on Malayalam cinema and 'non-European' discourses

By Birgit Kellner <kellner@ipc.hiroshima-u.ac.jp>, 27 nov 1997

I am not sure what precisely the original poster meant by a "non-European approach" to Malayalam (or Indian) cinema. Interpretation of film and its history outside a European/US-American context is most certainly related to the issue of post-colonialism. I am not really in the position to make any informed statements in that area, but would first of all recommend taking a look at the works of Paul Willemen (e.g. his collection of essays "Looks and Frictions", published by the British Film Institute 1994), plus those by Ashish Nandy and Ashish Rajadhyaksha. Below, I give a short list of publications which might be relevant to the study of Malayalam cinema in some way or another. Some of these deal specifically with the relation between certain forms of drama and cinema, where one could probably expect references to more classical theories. More references can be given upon request.

Babb 1981*Lawrence A. Babb: Glancing: Visual Interaction in Hinduism. Journal of Anthropological Research 37(4), 47-64.

Dasgupta 1991*Dasgupta, Chidananda: The Painted Face. Studies In India's Popular Cinema. New Delhi: Roli Books

Hansen 1989*Kathryn Hansen: The birth of Hindi drama in Banaras, 1868-1885. Sandra Freitag (ed.): Culture and Power in Banaras: Community, Performance and Environment 1800-1980. Delhi: Oxford University Press.

Kapur 1987*Geeta Kapur: Mythic Material in Indian Cinema. Journal of Arts and Ideas 14-15, 79-107.

Nandy 1981*Ashish Nandy: The Hindi Film: Ideology and First Principles. India International Center Quarterly 8(1), 89-96.

Pines, Willemen 1989*Jim Pines and Paul Willemen (eds.): Questions of Third Cinema. British Film Institute, London.

Rajadhyaksha 1987a*Ashish Rajadhyaksha: The Phalke Era: Conflict of Traditional Form and Modern Technology. Journal of Arts and Ideas 14-15, 47-78.

Rajadhyaksha 1987b*Ashish Rajadhyaksha: Neo- traditionalism: Film as Popular Art in India. Framework 32-33, 20-67.

Reym Binford 1988*Mira Reym Binford: Innovation and Imitation in the Indian Cinema, in: W. Dissanayake (ed.): Cinema and Cultural Identity. Reflections on Films From Japan, India and China. New York/London 1988.

Thomas 1985*Rosie Thomas: Indian Cinema: Pleasures and Popularity. Screen 26(3-4), 116-32.

Birgit Kellner
Department for Indian Philosophy
Hiroshima University