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Typecasting Identity and Portrayal of Trauma in the Reel Rendition of the Northeast: A Cinematic Introspection through Select Bollywood Films
Get PDFEdward Said, in his seminal work Orientalism, opined that the colonialist thought process (the notion that the West is superior to the East) did not come to an end when the colonial rule ended, but continued in varied forms. The vision of the Northeast within the borderlines of India reiterates this idea when one envisions the area through the lenses of mainstream ‘Indo-Aryan' and ‘Dravidian' cultural practices. Often termed as a ‘conflict zone', the Northeast has always had a tense relationship with ‘mainland' India, due to the differences in opinion regarding societal and cultural practices, food habits, territorial squabbles, and religion. When it came to the representation part of the Northeast in various art forms, it almost always got moulded by the mainstream imagination, which had nothing to do with real life practices related to the Northeast, and Bollywood movies act as the perfect canvas for this. This paper would attempt to contextualize the (mis)representation of identity, challenges, contestation in the portrayal of Northeast, the evolution of the process ‘othering’ of the characters belonging to the region in the mainstream Bollywood films, like Tango Charlie (2005), Chak de India (2007), Mary Kom (2014), Pink (2016), and the recent web series Axone (2019). Incisively speaking, the paper would also gyrate around some major concerns like the problematic position of Northeastern consciousness amid the ideology of one-nation-one-language that has been perpetrated in certain ways since the Nehruvian times, typecasting characters while portraying them in popular Bollywood movies, casting actors belonging to the Northeast into stereotypical roles, bereft of variety, and ultimately how off-beat cinematic presentations in OTT platforms have poised thought-provoking questions as counter-narratives to mainstream Bollywood movies of the past
Mapping the Exploration of Identity and Diasporic Belonging: A Literary Study of the Discourse in Jhumpa Lahiri’s Whereabouts
Get PDFDiaspora is studied in the historical and ethical background of migration of human beings. It is well known for its dislocation, disorientation, uprooted culture, fractured identity, multilingual or multicultural aspects of learning in the history of human migration. It has been studied in the different fields of knowledge and theory, having significant causes and effects of new exploration. In literature, it is studied with the straddle culture of human beings. Most of the diasporas are found unexplainable in the matter of identity formation. The literary and social term ‘diaspora’ is derived from Greek word ‘diaspeiro’ which means ‘to scatter’ or ‘to spread about’. It comprises of the Greek preposition ‘dia’ and verb ‘speiro’. Dia means ‘through’ or ‘between’ and ‘speiro’ means ‘to sow’ or ‘to scatter’. In this way, the word ‘diaspora’ means the scattering of population or the spreading of population across the region they are originated. The conceptual study of diaspora goes back to the human history and was initially used by the ancient Greeks to describe their scattering population all over the world. For the ancient Greeks, it was signified for migration and colonization. In the present context, ‘diaspora’ is read with the taste of modernity in the conceptualization of human migration, having actual feeling or feeling of others in the foreign landscapes. The present paper aims at the diasporic identity as well as the whereabouts of the narrator in the exploration of Jhumpa Lahiri in her latest novel, Whereabouts published in the Italian language in (2018) and translated by herself in (2021). By examining the characters’ quest for a sense of place, negotiation of cultural hybridity, and their grappling with multifaceted identities, this research aims to elucidate the nuanced tapestry of diasporic experiences evident in Lahiri’s literary corpus
Issue of River and Dam in the Fiction of Arundhati Roy
Get PDFArundhati Roy is not only an author but also a committed environmentalist and campaigner for human rights. She is widely credited with revitalising the effort to halt the enormous Narmada Dams project, in particular the construction of the Sardar Sarovar Dam. Besides writing, she has acquired a distinctive place in the mind of people as an activist. Roy shows a propensity to explore environmental issues and the devastation of the ecosystem due to human avarice in her writings. The river has been the lifeline of our society and culture since ancient times, but in recent times it has lost its glorious past, it has become contaminated and in various cases, its natural flow has been obstructed because of dam construction by providing excuses of modernity and progress. The river water is an integral part of our daily lives, as we drink it, use river water in cultivation, wash our clothes in it, and cook with it. River is a means of livelihood to many. Aquatic organisms find their means of survival there. However, the river has suffered a lot as a result of human interference. In her novel, The God of Small Things, and The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, Arundhati Roy pens down the horrible condition of the river and unplanned dam construction. This paper uses the lens of river ecology to investigate the symbiotic interaction between humans and other species in river ecosystems
Unveiling Gender Stereotypes: A Feminist Reading of the Film Bhumika
Get PDFThe present research paper is a feminist exploration of the critically acclaimed Hindi film, Bhumika (1977), set against the backdrop of Indian film industry, directed by Shyam Benegal, starring Smita Patil, Amol Palekar, Anant Nag, Naseeruddin Shah and Amrish Puri. The purpose of this study is to unveil gender stereotypes through the film narrative Bhumika from the feminist perspective. Besides, it delves mainly into the life and struggle of the female protagonist and a celebrated actress, Usha, who searches for her identity in a patriarchal realm. Hence, in the film Bhumika, Usha’s journey projects societal confinement and oppression as her image is an embodiment of her struggles against gender roles, showcasing how women were often silenced and how they were limited to their choices. Though, her narrative reflects the need for women’s empowerment in such a male chauvinistic world. With an application of feminist theories, the paper unearths how the film Bhumika is evident for both to reflect and to challenge the existing traditional gender norms in Indian Society. Apart from these, it examines Usha’s journey in terms of power and sexuality, highlighting her multifaceted role as a lens to investigate broader social causes. Thus, the findings of the study help for a better understanding of the intersection of cinema, gender, and society across the world highlighting the role of cinema as a medium for feminist discourse and social critique
Beyond the Page: Exploring Hypertextual Elements in Milorad Pavic’s The Landscape Painted with Sea
Get PDFHypertext literature is a form of interactive and nonlinear narration that utilizes the digital format to create dynamic and interconnected narrative structures. Postmodernist writers like Italo Calvino, Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortazar, Milorad Pavic, etc. incorporated nonlinear interactive elements within traditional printed books to create a new reading experience. They introduce branching paths, allowing the readers to navigate through the text in a non-sequential manner. Instead of following electronic hyperlinks, readers encounter printed hypertext through footnotes, endnotes, literary games and other techniques. Hypertexts are usually reader-oriented and they usually remove the author from the text. But the works of Milorad Pavic, a Serbo-Croatian writer, follow the hypertext technique in an innovative manner. He experiments with the textual structure in such a way that it ensures both reader interaction and author presence in the hypertextual format. This paper tries to analyse how Pavic’s novel The Landscape Painted with Tea explores the experimental narrative structure to guarantee reader and author participation the text
The Intersection of Traditional Wisdom and Modern Education: Unpacking the Potential of Folk Pedagogy in the Context of India’s National Education Policy 2020
Get PDFThis article explores the critical interface of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the potential of folk pedagogy in enhancing India’s educational landscape. The NEP 2020, with its emphasis on local, indigenous knowledge systems and a transformative vision for India’s education system, provides an unprecedented opportunity for mainstreaming folk pedagogy into contemporary teaching-learning practices. Approved by the Union Cabinet in 2020 National Education Policy ushered in avant-garde reforms to the education policy of India. Folk pedagogy, a term used to describe traditional modes of education practiced by various indigenous and local communities, carries immense value in terms of cultural preservation, community engagement, and learner-centric methodologies. It promotes experiential learning, critical thinking, and creativity by organically integrating local culture, resources, and traditional wisdom into education. Its salient features and key recommendations exceptionally call for flexibility, multi-disciplinarity, critical thinking and ethical values, multilingualism and the three-language formula. An exceptional emphasis on the power of language and the inclusion of mother/regional under the larger context of Indian ethos has been witnessed for the time. NEP 2020 with such emphasis ushers a pedagogical paradigm shift that seeks to reestablish lost Indian pedagogical heritages and their folk orientation, where education is experiential, diverse, holistic, creative, critical, multidisciplinary and multilingual. By intertwining the principles of NEP 2020 with the rich, culturally diverse practices of folk pedagogy, the article envisages a dynamic, inclusive, and effective education system. It underscores the significant role folk pedagogy can play in achieving NEP’s objectives of creating an equitable and vibrant knowledge society by leveraging local knowledge systems and fostering a deep sense of respect towards the rich cultural heritage of India. The article critically reviews the extent to which NEP 2020 allows for the incorporation of folk pedagogy in its framework, and analyzes how this can be made more effective. It addresses challenges and potential strategies for incorporating folk pedagogy into the mainstream educational practices and curriculum development. The article argues for an extensive dialogue and collaboration among educators, policymakers, and community stakeholders to facilitate this integration, ultimately nurturing a pedagogical system that is grounded in the culture, context, and aspirations of learners. This strategic amalgamation could empower India’s education system to meet the future challenges of the rapidly evolving global knowledge economy, while staying true to its unique cultural roots
Civilized Tribal Relations Vs Disabilities of Modern Societies: A Reading of Mahasweta Devi’s Pterodactyl, Puran Sahay o Pirtha
Get PDFThe so-called modern civilized society describes the term ‘tribal’ as the antonym of ‘civilized’. However, Mahasweta Devi’s Pterodactyl, Puran Sahay o Pirtha (the novel that Devi describes as the essence of her tribal experience) exposes this sham of the modern society while bringing out its disabilities and uncivilized inhumane aspects. And this she does by delineating not only the interpersonal and societal relations in tribal communities but also by describing the tribals’ relation with the Nature that sustains their existence. The civilized-to-the-core tribal society, Devi shows in the novel, is brutally exploited by the savage outsiders—the representatives of the so-called modern civilized society. These are government officials, journalists, businessmen, contractors, money-lenders from the modern world whose lust, of all the types there, has brought the tribals on the verge of extinction. Based on the first hand experiences of Mahasweta Devi, this novel belongs to the category of docufiction, through an analysis of which the present paper attempts to expose the disabilities of the contemporary society—the society that in the name of development mercilessly exploits the tribals as well as the Nature and is incapable of respecting their existence. 
Representation of Gender Violence in Jaishree Misra’s Afterwards
Get PDFGender violence is one of the major social issues which needs proper attention. It is one of the worst crimes of human society. ‘Gender Violence’ is an umbrella term that includes a large number of crimes directly or indirectly posed against a person’s sexuality. Several crimes like domestic violence, marital rape, human trafficking, honor killing, and other such abuses are heinous realities of the contemporary Indian society. To a large extent, the trauma of gender violence is not only physical but also psychological. Sadly, it has remained neglected for a very long period. However, by the twentieth century, voices fighting against such issues have gained wide recognition. The literary representation of sexual violence in Indian English literature is a way of giving voice to silent unheard victims and is worth critical attention. Jaishree Misra is a contemporary Indian English novelist delineating various socio-cultural issues of the contemporary Indian society through her large gamut of literary works. Her novel Afterwards (2004) deals with the life of a woman named Maya, trapped in a loveless and suffocating marriage. This research paper attempts to study the textual representation of sexual violence in the contemporary Indian English fictions with special attention to the selected literary work
Correlating Language and Music for the Activation of Human Mind
Get PDFAs Heinrich Heine puts it, “Where words leave off, music begins”. Music and language belong to a common origin i.e. sound, a form of energy. In other words, language and music are two sons of the same mother. Language and music both engage the auditory system, utilizing similar neural pathways to process sound and rhythm. Just as language relies on patterns of sounds and syntax to convey meaning, music utilizes melody, harmony, and structure to evoke emotions and communicate messages. A language always talks about the speech sounds that are produced by the vocal cords while music is the outcome of non-oral sounds or sometimes may be the oral sounds. Both language and music have the ability to elicit powerful emotional responses in individuals, stirring feelings of joy, sadness, or nostalgia. The rhythmic and melodic elements in music can enhance language processing by providing a rhythmic framework that aids in memorization and comprehension. Though language and music are not always complementary to each other but one seems incomplete in absence of the other. Language and music share the capacity to convey complex ideas and narratives, allowing us to express our thoughts and experiences in nuanced and creative ways. Studies have shown that exposure to music can improve language skills, including vocabulary acquisition, syntax comprehension, and verbal fluency. The use of prosody, intonation, and rhythm in language mirrors the melodic and rhythmic components of music, highlighting their interconnectedness. Musical training has been found to enhance linguistic abilities, as musicians often demonstrate better pitch discrimination, phonological awareness, and language learning skills. Language and music can both serve as cultural markers, reflecting and preserving the traditions, values, and identities of different communities. The shared neural processes involved in language and music suggest a deep-rooted correlation, as they tap into fundamental mechanisms of auditory perception and cognitive processing. The present research article is a descriptive study on the relationship between language and music and their effects on the mind and body of the human beings. In the first section of this paper, the linguistic aspects that are akin to music have been attempted to be pointed out. Similarly, in the following section, the core of the music has been discussed in context to language. In the third section, a comparative study of language and music has been done on the basis of the points discussed in the preceding sections. Finally, the paper also discusses as how the amalgamation of the two i.e. language and music can be helpful in activating the human mind and the body
Perspectives on Poetic Language Construction of Identity through Language
Get PDFThe present research article aims to investigate the intricate tapestry of language and its profound role in shaping and conveying human identity. One of the most pivotal movements in the intellectual history of the twentieth century revolves around the exploration and understanding of language and its fundamental roles in the human experience. Since the dawn of civilization, language has served as the conduit for narrating, preserving, and influencing the multifaceted dimensions of human experience. It stands as a reflection and assertion of individual and collective identity, offering insights into the diverse ways through which human beings perceive, interact with, and interpret the world around them. This article embarks on a comprehensive examination of the burgeoning human interest in language, transcending its functional use as a mere tool for communication. It scrutinizes the significant transformation in the conceptualization of language, primarily initiated in the twentieth century, wherein language evolved to be seen not just as a medium of communication but as a crucial construct that interlaces with diverse dimensions of human existence and identity. The study delves into various facets of language, encompassing its poetic dimensions, which provide a rich, multi-layered platform for the exploration and expression of identity. Drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives, the article explores the symbiotic relationship between language and identity, acknowledging the myriad ways through which language informs, shapes, and is shaped by human identity. It investigates the poetic construction of language, unveiling the nuanced ways in which language, particularly in its poetic form, serves as a powerful instrument for the articulation and construction of identity. There is a dynamic interplay between language and identity, providing a robust foundation for future research and exploration in the realm of language studies, with a particular focus on its poetic dimensions and its role in the construction of identity. The paper seeks to contribute to the ongoing discourse on language, adding depth and breadth to the understanding of its multifarious roles in the human experience, particularly in the context of identity construction through poetic language