Parde Ke Peeche (PKP) Podcast Parde Ke Peeche

In this special episode, PKP went live at the Calgary International Film Festival! Indian filmmaker Shlok Sharma and screenwriter Shilpa Srivastava sat down with Ankur and Raeesa to chat about their film Two Sisters and a Husband (2022), their experience working with Anurag Kashyup, and all things Indian cinema!

This episode of PKP was recorded on site at the Calgary International Film Festival. Now in its 23rd year, CIFF brings the best of Alberta, Canadian, and world cinema to Calgary each fall. Sign up for the CIFF newsletter at www.ciffcalgary.ca/newsletter, or follow @ciffcalgary on all platforms to be sure you don’t miss out on any of the exciting upcoming events

WELCOME BACK TO A NEW EPISODE OF PARDE KE PEECHE!!!

In this month's episode hosts, Raeesa Farooqi & Ankur Desai, sit down to discuss depictions of Nationalism & Patriotism in Indian Cinema.

We discuss the evolution of the depiction from the Pre-Colonial origins, to the modern Right-Wing Jingoistic turn in Indian Films.

ARTICLES
Devadas, Vijay. “The Shifting Terrains of Nationalism and Patriotism in Indian Cinemas.” Routledge Handbook of Indian Cinemas, edited by Wimal Dissanayake and K. Moti Gokulsing, Routledge, 2013, pp. 564-592.

MOVIES DISCUSSED:
Amma Ariyan (1986) dir: John Abraham; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpsY0J010uc

Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa (1998) dir: Govind Nihalani https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9l2WouSLosw 

Happy Summer! In this episode of PKP, Ankur and Raeesa are taking a trip through Bollywood's depiction of travelling, featuring the works of the sibling duo the Akthars. 

It’s Cannes season, baby! This year in what is a first, the Cannes Film Festival has chosen India as the official “Country of Honour”.  But India has not always played a huge role in the 75 year history of this international festival. In this episode of PKP, hosts Raeesa and Ankur explore India’s relationship with Cannes, the Eurocentric nature of the festival, and the lack of support for films back home.

Sources:
Dhingra, Manisha. “The History of India at Cannes.” NDTV, 14 May 2014, https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/the-history-of-india-at-cannes-639287. Accessed 13 May 2022.Firstpost. “Explained: What does being named as 'Country of Honour' at Cannes Fim Market mean for India-Entertainment News.” Firstpost, 5 May 2022, https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/explained-what-does-being-named-as-country-of-honour-at-cannes-fim-market-mean-for-india-10634871.html. Accessed 14 May 2022.Gadre, Soham. “Cannes Essay: India's Absence from Cannes' Official Selection.” Vague Visages, 24 May 2019, https://vaguevisages.com/2019/05/24/cannes-indian-cinema-film-culture/. Accessed 13 May 2022.The Hindu. “India to be Official Country of Honour at Cannes Film Market.” The Hindu [Chennai], 03 May 2022, https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-to-be-official-country-of-honour-at-cannes-film-market/article65378828.ece.Jha, Subhash K. ““Indian cinema is a f***ing joke at Cannes” – Sheetal Talwar.” Bollywood Hungama, 25 May 2012, https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/features/indian-cinema-is-a-fing-joke-at-cannes-sheetal-talwar/. Accessed 13 May 2022.Kaur, Gurnaaz. “Here's a Look at Indian Movies That Have Been Showcased at The Cannes Film Festival Over the Years.” Tribune India, 7 July 2021, https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/lifestyle/heres-a-look-at-indian-movies-that-have-been-showcased-at-the-cannes-film-festival-over-the-years-279415. Accessed 13 May 2022.Sridharan, Soujanaya. “Seventy Years of India at Cannes.” The Hindu [Chennai], 02 May 2017, https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/seventy-years-of-india-at-cannes/article18352463.ece.

The influence of William Shakespeare on cinema is well known & far reaching. Since the dawn of cinema The Bard’s work has been adapted, or provided inspiration, in cinematic works from Griffith, Kurosawa, and Julie Taymor. 
The influence has also touched Indian filmmakers as well, providing rich, complex, and beautiful stories for filmmakers like Vishal Bhardwaj, Gulzar, and Sanjay Leela Bhansali to explore themes, conventions, and emotions that run deep in Shakespeare’s works. 
In this episode, hosts Ankur and Raeesa look into the history of Shakespeare in Indian cinema, and answer questions regarding the popularity of Shakespeare, and why Indian filmmakers keep reaching for the plays to tell very unique, idiosyncratic, and Indian stories. 

The 94th Academy Awards are on Sunday March 27, a night of prestige and glamour in the international film world. The documentary Writing with Fire, directed by Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh, has been nominated this year and is the first Indian-made film ever nominated in the documentary feature category in the history of the Academy Awards. In fact, no Indian film has ever won an Oscar and only 4 have ever been nominated. In this episode, PKP takes a look back at Indian film and filmmakers at the Oscars and what a win may mean for the country.