Study of Social realism in the cinema of Shyam Benegal, Satyajeet Ray, Deepa Mehta, Anubhav Sinha
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53573/rhimrj.2023.v10n02.007Keywords:
Social realism, Shyam Benegal, Satyajit Ray, Deepa Mehta, Anubhav Sinha, Indian cinema, socio-political issues, marginalized communitiesAbstract
This paper delves into the cinematic works of renowned Indian filmmakers Shyam Benegal, Satyajit Ray, Deepa Mehta, and Anubhav Sinha, with a specific focus on their use of social realism as a narrative and aesthetic tool. Social realism, as a genre, seeks to portray the realities of society, addressing social issues and reflecting the lives of ordinary individuals. These filmmakers have made significant contributions to Indian cinema by highlighting pertinent socio-political themes, questioning prevailing societal norms, and shedding light on marginalized communities. By examining their notable films, such as Shyam Benegal's "Ankur" and "Mandi," Satyajit Ray's "Pather Panchali" and "Aparajito," Deepa Mehta's "Fire" and "Water," and Anubhav Sinha's "Article 15" and "Thappad," this paper aims to analyze their unique approaches to social realism, their impact on Indian cinema, and their collective contribution to addressing social issues through the medium of film. The study draws on critical analysis, theoretical frameworks, and relevant scholarly works to provide a comprehensive understanding of the filmmakers' narratives, techniques, and thematic concerns within the context of social realism.
References
Forrest, D. (2013). Social realism: art, nationhood and politics. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Vasudevan, R. (2011). The melodramatic public. In The Melodramatic Public: Film Form and Spectatorship in Indian Cinema (pp. 16-64). New York: Palgrave Macmillan US.
Datta, S. (2019). Shyam Benegal. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Ganguly, K. (2010). Cinema, emergence, and the films of Satyajit Ray. Univ of California Press.
Jaidka, M. (2011). A Critical Study of Deepa Mehta's Trilogy Fire, Earth and Water: Fire, Earth and Water. Readworthy.
Kumar, S. D. S. (2021). Contours of Dalit Cinema in India: A Study of Pa. Ranjith’s Kaala and Anubhav Sinha’s Article 15 (Doctoral dissertation, Central University of Haryana).
Naresh, M. S., & Prakash, J. (2015). Marketing films through Social Realities: Shyam Benegal’s ‘Welcome to Sajjanpur’-A Case Study. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 5(2), 1-8.
Biswas, M. (2021). Realism. BioScope: South Asian Screen Studies, 12(1-2), 158-161.
Needham, A. D. (2013). New Indian Cinema in Post-Independence India: The Cultural Work of Shyam Benegal’s Films. Routledge.
Verma, S. P. (2021). Shyam Benegal’s India: alternative images: by Vivek Sachdeva, London and New York, Routledge, 2020, 196 pp., $48.95 (paperback), ISBN 9780367784270.
NONVERBAL, S., & RAY’S, S. A. T. Y. A. J. I. T. (2015). CHAPTER FIVE SUBTITLING NONVERBAL CULTURAL REFERENCES: SATYAJIT RAY’S APU TRILOGY TANIYA GUPTA. Audiovisual Translation: Taking Stock, 69.
Farhad, S. A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF FILMS, LITERATURE AND CULTURE AS AN ELEMENTAL OF TRILOGY IN SOCIAL CONTEXT.
Sharif, M. (2018). Postcolonial Indian Nonfiction Cinema: The Documentaries of Satyajit Ray.
Naresh, M. S., & Prakash, J. (2015). Marketing films through Social Realities: Shyam Benegal’s ‘Welcome to Sajjanpur’-A Case Study. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 5(2), 1-8.
Chaudhary, N., & Tramboo, I. A. Patriarchy and Cultural Politics in Deepa Mehta’s Fire.
Sharma, B. (2020). Men from the Lenses of Deepa Mehta in Fire and Water. Journal of Balkumari College, 9(1), 13-19.
CHITRA DASHORA, D. J. S. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE, LITERATURE AND TRANSLATION STUDIES (IJELR).
Kumar, S. D. S. (2021). Contours of Dalit Cinema in India: A Study of Pa. Ranjith’s Kaala and Anubhav Sinha’s Article 15 (Doctoral dissertation, Central University of Haryana).
Assistant Professors, S. S. L. Extending Circumscription: The Metamorphosis of Female Protagonists in the Indian Movies ‘The Great Indian Kitchen’and ‘Thappad’. Journal of Huazhong University of Science and Technology ISSN, 1671, 4512.
Rai, L. K. (2021). Problematizing the cultural practices of Bollywood films: A critical reading of Bollywood films from Indian culture industry (Doctoral dissertation, Brac University).
