Political battles over the soul of modern India are fought, in part, through the imagination. This course explores India's vibrant modern traditions of Bollywood film, new fiction, and emerging creative industries to understand changing visions of the world's largest democracy. Film, writing, and new media reveal a space where right-wing Hindu activism meets global neoliberal norms, where "new women" and "angry young men" critique longstanding social roles and gender inequalities, and where India defines a place for itself as a rising force in a globalising world. As the course explores how the Indian state has mobilized culture as part of its bid to become a global power, it investigates how battles fought through and over the imagination reveal underlying anxieties and aspirations for the economic and political future of India.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of historical and current events and developments that have shaped relationships between culture and power in India;
- Identify and critique contemporary systems of popular culture and creative industries in India;
- Analyse the global significance of events and developments in popular culture and creative industries that have affected India;
- Communicate ideas, in written and oral form, using a combination of analytical, practice-based, and creative approaches.
Indicative Assessment
- 1. Wattle-based Seminar Preparation (10) [LO 1,2,4]
- 2. Seminar Participation (10) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- 3. Group Project (20) [LO 1,2,4]
- 4. Research Essay (1500 words) (30) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- 5. Creative-Critical Project + Reflective Interview (2000 words or equivalent) (30) [LO 1,2,3,4]
In response to COVID-19: Please note that Semester 2 Class Summary information (available under the classes tab) is as up to date as possible. Changes to Class Summaries not captured by this publication will be available to enrolled students via Wattle.
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Workload
36 contact hours, plus an additional 7 hours per week of time for reading and preparing assessments. The total workload for the course is 130 hours including in class time and independent study.Inherent Requirements
Not applicable
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Not applicable
Preliminary Reading
Mulk Raj Anand, UntouchableR.K. Narayan, The Ramayana
A.K. Ramanujan, 300 Ramayanas (selections)
Ulka Anjaria, ed, A History of the Indian Novel in English (selections)
Awaara, dir. Raj Kapoor (1951)
Vijay Mishra, Bollywood Cinema: Temples of Desire (selections)
Nina Paley, Sita Sings the Blues
Sholay, dir. G.P. Sippy (1975)
Anita Desai, Clear Light of Day
Fire, dir. Deepa Mehta (1996)
Naisargi N. Dave, Queer Activism in India: A Story in the Anthropology of Ethics (Durham: Duke University Press, 2012) (selections).
Ruth Vanita, ed., Queering India: Same-Sex Love and Eroticism in Indian Culture and Society (New York: Routledge, 2002) (selections).
Shruti Saxena, Stilettos in the Boardroom (New Delhi: Zubaan, 2009).
Sanja Srivastava, Passionate Modernity: Sexuality, Class and Consumption in India (New Delhi: Routledge, 2007) (selections).
Court (2014), dir. Chaitanya Tamhane
Vishwaroopam (2013), dir. Kamal Haasan
So Heddan, So Hoddan (2011), dir. Anajali Monteiro and K.P. Jayashankar
Assumed Knowledge
Some prior study of India and/or cultural studies is desirable, but not required.Majors
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $3120 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $4800 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6973 | 26 Jul 2021 | 02 Aug 2021 | 14 Sep 2021 | 29 Oct 2021 | In Person | View |
