Fearless Females: Three Films by Shyam Benegal

September 5, 2007 - September 7, 2007

Zubeidaa, September 7

Director in Person at All Screenings

With rare exception, Bollywood's dominance of the Indian film industry has stressed a pan-cinema that conjures a generic India free of regional strife, poverty, and political inequalities. In the mid-seventies, a parallel (or antidotal) cinema emerged, driven by such remarkable directors as Mani Kaul, Mrinal Sen, Kumar Shahani, and, perhaps most important, Shyam Benegal, whose first feature, Ankur (1974), announced a realist cinema of determined independence. A prolific director, Benegal makes films that are charged by social relevance and rely on naturalistic acting, unlike the artificiality of much Bollywood fare; and though they are in Hindi, the use of regional dialects grounds them in a more specific cultural milieu. Of equal importance is Benegal's committed attention to the plight of India's women. His striking films, such as Bhumika (1977) and Zubeidaa (2001), frequently have spirited female protagonists at their core, women struggling heartily against the restraints of caste and gender in a decidedly patriarchal society. It is through these fully realized female characters that Benegal points us toward social change, considering the inequities of traditional culture that linger in the midst of emerging modernity. Shyam Benegal will honor us with his presence throughout this short series.

Steve Seid
Video Curator

Wednesday, September 5, 2007
7:30 p.m. Ankur
Shyam Benegal in Person. Benegal's 1974 debut announced an Indian cinema of determined independence with its unvarnished, subtly enraged depiction of a spineless landlord's relationship with his trusting female servant.

Thursday, September 6, 2007
7:30 p.m. Bhumika
Shyam Benegal in Person. Benegal adapts the autobiography of a scandalous '40s actress in "a complex exploration of female emancipation, making striking use of the Hindi cinema . . . as setting, symbol, and catalyst."—Time Out

Friday, September 7, 2007
7:30 p.m. Zubeidaa
Shyam Benegal in Person. Karisma Kapoor stars in Benegal's first venture into Bollywood, a lavish musical wrapped around the story of a woman in early-'50s Bombay whose desperate wish to be an actress leads to tragedy.

Presented in association with the Telluride Film Festival and the UC Berkeley Center for South Asia Studies.

Special thanks to Raka Ray, chair, Center for South Asia Studies; Tom Luddy and Gary Meyer, Telluride Film Festival; and Mr. Shankar Mohan, senior deputy director, Directorate of Film Festivals, New Delhi.