At least one third of India’s billion inhabitants regularly watch Indian soap operas, which have displaced popular cinema as the prime entertainment genre. And in the Indian diaspora on every Continent, Indian soap operas are a feature of life -- a source of pleasure, discussion and shared identity. This book characterizes the forms of these soap operas and relates how they have evolved. It explores how they have contributed to shaping the identity of modern India. Initially developed by the national telecast service, Doordoshan, specifically to convey messages about women’s role, contraception and other family issues. Doordoshan also engaged viewers with serializations of the two great epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabarata. But with the onset of cable TV, soap operas became primarily entertainment driven and progressively more sensational. The book traces the impact of these different strands of soap operas and considers their impact on India’s dominant concerns: the search for national unity, identity, the changing role of women, and the ideology of consumerism. "Soft Soaping India" is the first book to study Indian televised soap operas in all its forms and will be essential reading for students of the media and sociologists interested in India and its diaspora. It will also be relevant to Women’s Studies.

Soft-Soaping India: The World of Indian Televised Soap Operas

Humor & Entertainment

Gokulsing, K. Moti

Television

Trentham Books

The book reviews nine decades of Indian popular cinema and examines its immense influence on people in India and its diaspora. Since it was published in 1998, Indian film has developed in new directions. As films today vie with Indian soap operas for popularity, film making in India has acquired 'industry status' and consequently has greater accountability to its public. All this is reflected in this new and extensively revised edition of "Indian Popular Cinema". It tracks the rise of "designer cinema," reviews the increasingly significant Tamil cinema, and considers films made by Indians in the diaspora.

Indian Popular Cinema: A Narrative of Cultural Change

Dissanayake, Wimal

Movies

This authoritative and accessible guide is written specifically to help students understand the complexities and intricacies of Indian cinema. It covers the vast range of the cinemas of India, plus the meteoric rise of Bollywood, and discusses the key theoretical approaches to the analysis of films, the cinema audience and audience segmentation.The book describes how an Indian movie is made and explains the technology entailed. All the major issues are discussed: the relationship between cast and crew, the contributions of designers and choreographers, the impact of the corporatization of the film industry, censorship, taxation, insurance and advertising. The fascinating case studies of filmic analysis illuminate the theoretical approaches and concepts that students require for analyzing Indian film. And teachers will find that the comprehensive coverage, extensive bibliography and suggestions for further reading, the discussion of pedagogical issues about the teaching of Indian cinema and the sample questions make it an indispensable resource for teaching Indian cinema.

From Aan to Lagaan and Beyond: A Guide to the Study of Indian Cinema

Charting the rise and development of NVQs and GNVQs, this volume also examines the challenge to higher education in the future. It discusses the creation and driving forces behind NVQs and GNVQs, and summarizes stumbling blocks and problems.

Beyond Competence : The National Council for Vocational Qualifications Framework and the Challenge to Higher Education in the New Millennium

Ainley, Patrick

Tysome, Tony

National Council for Vocational Qualifications

Avebury

Indian Popular Cinema

many illustrations; survey of evolution of Indian cinema, role fo women, style, religion, implicaitons for popular culture and society.

Orient Longman India