RURAL CULTURE IN HINDI CINEMA: A Sociological Study

Book Details

• Author: Shivam Singh

• Publisher: Rawat Publications

• Language: English

• ISBN: 9788131610343

• Pages: 330

• Cover: Hardcover

• Release Date: 01-12-2019

About the Book

Rural Culture in Hindi Cinema explores the changing Indian rural society through the lens of Hindi cinema. This book contributes to the growing trend of audio-visual research, analyzing the portrayal of rural life in Indian films over the decades.

The book begins with a theoretical orientation to rural life and rural sociology, setting the foundation for understanding the cinematic portrayal of rural India. It then explores Indian cinema through various phases, analyzing how rural life has been depicted from the 1950s to the 1990s, and then examining the post-1991 period, which was shaped by liberalization, privatization, and globalization (LPG).

The author uses a unique approach by studying films decade-wise and interpreting them through sociological narratives. The book highlights how the depiction of rural life in films has evolved over time, from nostalgic depictions of village life in films like Do Bigha Zamin (1953) and Naya Daur (1957), to more contemporary representations in films like Welcome to Sajjanpur (2008) and Peepli Live (2010), where the nostalgia for rural life fades as migration to urban areas increases.

A special feature of the book is the development of a new technique to analyze films as a text, referred to as "film text," which can be interpreted sociologically. The book integrates cinematic analysis with sociological imagination to offer insights into the changing rural dynamics in India.

Contents

• Introduction

• 1. Theoretical Orientation: Rural Life and Rural Sociology

• 2. Indian Cinema through Different Phases

• 3. Rural Life through Films from 50s to 60s

• 4. Rural Life through Films from 70s to 80s

• 5. Changes in Rural Life through Films Since 1991

• 6. Conclusion

About the Author

Shivam Singh is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Rajasthan, Jaipur. He holds degrees in Sociology from Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. With a rich background in teaching sociology at both graduate and postgraduate levels, Shivam Singh has also taught at the University of Delhi and Galgotias College of Engineering and Technology. His work brings a unique sociological perspective to the study of cinema, focusing on the intersection of rural life and media.