Posts Tagged ‘Hindi’
Bollywoodfilm as an entry to societal debate
Posted by Johanna in India, Popular culture on maj 30th, 2009
I have been watching Bollywood films frequently for about five years, and while conducting fieldwork in Delhi, I saw all the latest releases, because my informants related to this media. My informants watch both Bollywood and American films, and during conversations Bollywood often came up as a topic. Referring to Anthropologist Jacobs-Huey’s concept, the native card, I call this competence the Bollywood card. Knowledge might be an entry to some fields, one entry point for me in my research was the Bollywood knowledge. The Bollywood card functioned as an icebreaker, as an entry point to societal debate, and serves as a common topic of discussion.
In India, Bollywood film is a large part of the entertainment sector. “Every day about 15 million people throng the 13,000 movie halls in the country” (Varma 2004:154). Bollywoodfilms are frequently debated in the media, and the controversial films are often banned in certain states according to the local state government which has a major influence in the entertainment. New Bollywood films tend to challenge conventions by portraying unconventional relationships like extra-marital affairs, inter-caste relationships, divorce, pre-marital sex, as well as portraying people who challenge the heteronormative sexuality or climb the social ladder from poverty to wealth, in its own collective fantasy (Kakar 1996:25).
The film Dostana (Hindi = friendship), for example is challenging the heterosexual norm. Another film that premiered during my stay in Delhi was Rab Ban Na Di Jodi (Hindi=A match made in heaven), about a good girl who conforms to her father’s wishes to get married, when the father lies on his death bed. The fathers last wish is to know that his daughter is in good hands when he passes away, and she is united with a man of her father’s choice. The girl in the film challenges the conventional norm of a good wife with telling her husband that she will never love him, and then eventually falls in love outside of her marriage.
I consider films cultural narratives, which provide a commentary on Indian society, challenging conventions and bringing societal change
Dhanyavad!
The English uses thank you!, and swedes uses tack! a dussin times a day, at least. My hindi teacher told me that in hindi the word dhanyavad has a deeper meaning and is therefore not used lightly. My hindi teacher said; - ‘You can say if someone saves your life’
Little did I know that day in the classroom at Stockholm University, that one day I would actually have someone who spoke hindi to thank for saving my life. In november 2005 I was heading from Kandivali towards central Mumbai by local train. The train was approaching the platform and many people were running over the tracks, and I did not look I just ran amongs all the others. The train was horning when a man reached out for my hand and pulled me up merely seconds before the train approached. My life was saved by an Indian man on this platform and I said it; dhanyavad.
I wish this good man to be recognized, and once again;
DHANYAVAD!
Desi Girls
Posted by Johanna in Anthropology, Gender, India on februari 26th, 2009
I proudly present the working title of my thesis; Desi girls
I arrived to Delhi on nov 5. The first Bollywoodfilm that premiered upon my arrival was Dostana nov 14. With Indian films, frequently called Bollywoodfilms, the soundtrack is always released in advance so that the songs can give the film a buzz. The hitsong Desi Girl from the film Dostana was frequently played during my time spent in India, among the girls and on the cafes and places we went. I choose this name because the song was the soundtrack of my field.
‘Desi girl’ is interesting on both a musical and a textual level. The song is both containing ‘modern’ beats as well as ‘typical’ old-school ‘Bollywood tradititon’ parts it is a mix of the old Indian music and the modern up-beat music. Regarding the lyrics; Desi originally means ‘from the country’ (referring to India) in sanskrit. So Desi girls means Indian girls. This is the chorus from the hitsong from Dostana, the soundtrack of my field;
“Dekhi Lakh Lakh Pardesi Girl (I have seen a million foreign girls) Ain’t Nobody Like My Desi Girl”
Since my thesis is about the specific girls, the Desi girls put in a comparative perspective, how gender is a process among Desi and Pardesi. The main focus is the gender construction process is India. Hence the name of the thesis. The song specifies it ‘aint nobody like my Desi girl’. I discuss the foreign girls and the Desi girls. We are all girls but the question is how do we become girls, what is normative behaviour for girls and how are we the creators in this process? ‘How is gender constructed’?
My relationship with India
I came home from my Minor Field Study in India 2 weeks ago, I am currently the process of writing up my material that will constitute the foundation of my Master thesis in Anthropology. At the moment I am processing my material and how to present my work and my fascination with India. This is a draft for the introduction part of my field report;
“I was backpacking in India 2003-2003. It was love at first sight, fell in love with the country and embraced it all. Since my first visit and up until November 2008, I have returned almost yearly to visit friends, to volunteer at an orphanage, to do Bollywood projects and to attend Hindi classes. The love story has now grown into more a comfortable relationship, where I know India’s dark sides and less attractive faces, Read the rest of this entry »
