Anglo-Indians in Hollywood, Bollywood and arthouse cinema
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journal contribution
posted on 2024-06-03, 08:16authored byG D'Cruz
Apart from a few disparaging remarks about offensive stereotypes by Anglo-Indian writers and politicians such as Gloria Jean Moore, Frank Anthony and Gillian Hart, critics have paid very little attention to the representation of “mixed-race” Anglo-Indians in the cinema. Drawing on screen theory and recent theories of cinema spectatorship, this essay provides a comparative analysis of how Hollywood, Bollywood and arthouse films represent Anglo-Indians. More specifically, it analyses three paradigmatic films: Bhowani Junction (1956), Julie (1975), and 36 Chowringhee Lane (1981). Combining formal analysis of narrative structure, mise-en-scegravene and genre with historical analysis, the paper examines the ideological work performed by these texts, which use Anglo-Indians to dramatise specific political conflicts in India such as those generated by the British partition of India in 1947 and the more recent issue of globalisation.
History
Journal
Journal of intercultural studies
Volume
28
Pagination
55-68
Location
London, England
ISSN
0725-6868
eISSN
1469-9540
Language
eng
Publication classification
C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal, C Journal article