Indian Cinema and Human Rights: An Intersectional Tale

Foreword
Contents
About the Editors
Introduction: Indian Cinema and Human Rights: An Intersectional Tale
	1 Introduction
	2 Indian Cinema and Human Rights
	3 Lights, Camera…Human Rights
	References
Indian Cinema and Human Rights: An Intersectional Tale
Tracking Human Rights Issues Through Contemporary Indian Regional Cinema
	1 Introduction
	2 Historical Overview
		2.1 Pre-1950s: Portraying Human Rights in Indian Regional Cinema
	3 Historical Overview
		3.1 1950s to 1990s: Post-Independence Cinema as a Project of Nation Building
	4 Era of Globalization: 1990s till Date
		4.1 Human Rights in the Era of Globalization
	5 Conclusion
	References
Genre and Cinematic Justice—Towards a “Rights-Based” Analysis
	1 Introduction
	2 Promoting and Embracing Diversity and Depth
	3 What Is a Rights-Based Approach to Law Film Analysis?
		3.1 Inherit the Wind
	4 Promising Young Woman
		4.1 Shuddi
	5 Conclusion
	References
The Protection of Women, Girls and Sexual Minorities in Indian Cinema
Do Sex Workers Have Human Rights? Looking Through the Lens of Indian Cinema
	1 Introduction
		1.1 The Impact of Cinema on Society and Culture
		1.2 Contrasting Perspectives of Filmmakers
		1.3 Why Do Stories Have Emotional Appeal?
	2 Portrayal of Women in Cinemas and Evolution Through the Years
	3 Common Choice of Themes and Power Sharing Amongst Characters
		3.1 Central Theme of the Chapter
		3.2 Elaborating Women-Centric Themes to Further Social Causes
	4 Role of Indian Cinema in Portraying Sex Work
		4.1 Movies Based in and Around the Lives of Workers of the Red Light Area
		4.2 Reception of Movies and Its Critique as Commercial Successes
	5 Impact
		5.1 How Has Indian Cinema Contributed to Shaping Our Perspective of  Sex Workers?
	References
New Masculinities and the Aesthetics of Violence in Contemporary Bombay Cinema: A Case Study of Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur (2012)
	1 Introduction
	2 Kashyap: The Early Years
	3 Real Cinema, Unreal History
	4 Nation, Community, and Labor: The Question of Rights
	Notes
	References
Tracing the Trajectory of Human Rights of LGBTQIA+ in Indian Cinema: From Celluloid to OTTs
	1 Introduction: The Social Impact of Indian Cinema
	2 LGBTQIA+ Rights in India
	3 A Spectrum of Shadows: Tracing the History of LGBTQIA+ Representation in Indian Cinema
		3.1 Phase I: The Early Years—Invisibility and Subtext (Pre-1970s)
		3.2 Phase II: The Era of Stereotypes (Late 1970s–1990s)
		3.3 Phase III: The Emergence of a Nuanced Discourse (Late 1990s–Early 2000s)
		3.4 Phase IV: The Age of Empathy and Acceptance (Late 2000s–2010s)
		3.5 Phase V: Progression and Authenticity (2010s–Present)
	4 The Impact of OTT Platforms
	5 The Asexual Community and Indian Cinema: An Unplumbed Narrative
	6 A Path Towards Better Representation
	7 Subverting Normativity: The Human Rights Landscape in Indian LGBTQIA+ Cinema
	8 The Politics of Representation and Accountability
	9 Legal Reforms and the Shifting Landscape of Rights
	10 Comparative Analysis: Societal Acceptance and Legal Frameworks
	11 The Social Variables Affecting Trajectory of Change
	12 Activism, Public Opinion, and the Role of Cinema
	13 Concluding Remarks: The Cinematic Lens as a Mirror and Catalyst
	References
Cinematographic Representations of Civil Rights, Conflict and Historical Memory in India
Two Documents on Human Rights by Hansal Mehta: Shahid (2012) and Aligarh (2015)
	1 News Media, Cinema, and the Narrative of Human Rights
		1.1 The Theme of Human Rights in Non-Fiction Films
		1.2 The Theme of Human Rights in Fiction Films
		1.3 The News Narrative and the Film Narrative
		1.4 Shahid Azmi—A Reformed Human Rights Activist Martyred in the Cause He Served
	2 Shahid (2012)—A Chronicle of One Man’s Legal Endeavor for Human Rights
		2.1 The Evolution of Shahid Azmi Into a Human Rights Lawyer-Activist
		2.2 The Predicament of the Undertrial Prisoners Through Two Significant Cases
		2.3 The Mise En Scene of Compassion and Realism
		2.4 Postscript—The Chronic Situation of the Undertrial Prisoners in India
	3 Aligarh (2015)—The Fatal Consequences of Intrusion Upon a Citizen’s Privacy
		3.1 The Tragic Episode of Professor Siras
		3.2 The Plot
		3.3 The Trigger Incidence
		3.4 The University, the Media, and the Civil Society
		3.5 Civil Society Offers Moral and Legal Support to Siras
		3.6 The Mise En Scene
		3.7 Postscript—The Issues This Film Brings to the Fore
		3.8 Post-Script—The Battle for Privacy as a Fundamental Right
		3.9 The Relevance of the Two Films
	References
From State to Non-State Actor Censorship in India: Censoring Films Under the Pretense of Religion
	1 Introduction
	2 The Legal Framework of Freedom of Artistic Expression
	3 Religious Sensitivity as a Pretense for Limiting Artistic Expression
	4 Freedom of Expression Under Attack: India at the United Nations
	5 Artistic Freedom of Expression in Comparative Human Rights Contexts
	6 Freedom of Expression and Artistic Creativity
		6.1 Indian Law
	7 Non-State Actor Censorship: The Cases of Adipurush and PK
	8 Censorship by Non-State Actors as a Tool of Religious Nationalism
	9 Conclusion
	References
Dissent and Disappearance: The Naxalite Insurgency in Indian New Wave Films
	1 The Ultra-Left Revolt Against the Left
	2 Left Fissions
	3 Antagonistic Political Currents
	4 Political Critique Through Art
	5 Dissident Politics—Wins and Losses
	Notes
	References
Frames of Extremism: Indian Films, Human Rights Discourse, and Media Literacy
	1 Introduction
	2 Theoretical Underpinnings of Impact of Cinema
		2.1 Movie Viewing—Akin to a Two-Way Communication Process
		2.2 The Echos of Freedom and Rights—The Early Days of Indian Cinema
	3 Methodology
	4 Brief Analysis of the Movies Shortlisted
		4.1 A Latent Justification for Violent Behavior and the Demonization of the State Machinery
	5 A Pen Portrait of a Terrorist as Portrayed by Hindi Cinema—Key Learnings from the Content Analysis
		5.1 High Morals, Protector of the Weak, Hardened by the Injustice of the Society
		5.2 An Extremist is a Veritable Picture of Victimhood—A Life of Human Rights Violations and Injustice
		5.3 Extremism is Just a Means to Rectify the System or Society
	6 Way Forward
		6.1 Media Literacy a Strategy to Combat Misleading Messaging
	7 Conclusion
	References
Querying Human Rights Through Indic Cinema: The Work of Mani Ratnam
	1 Introduction
	2 The Mani Ratnam Project: Tamil Nadu, India, Sri Lanka, and the Global/Anthropocene
	3 Indic Human Rights According to Mani Ratnam
	4 Coda
	Notes
	References
Hindutva, Human Rights and Bollywood Cinema in the New India: Parzania’s Memory of the Gujarat Pogrom
	1 “Gujarat 2002” in the New India
	2 Bollywood’s Lawscape in the New India
	3 Parzania: Heaven, Hell, and Human Rights
	4 Conclusion
	References
Fact, Fiction, and Fame: Mangal Pandey: The Rising
	1 Introduction
	2 Conclusion
	References
Rights of the Hindusthani Humans: Media and Its Publics in Hindi Films
	1 The Media and Its Public
	2 Agenda
	3 Public Justice: Real and Filmic Connections
	4 The Spectacular Liveness of Indian Democracy
	5 The Hindusthani Humans
	6 Human Rights of the Everyperson
	7 Representation and Embodiment
	References
Socio-Economic Rights and the Protection of Underrepresented Groups in Indian Cinema
Jai Bhim and Human Rights: State Oppression, Spirited Lawyer, and the Indigenous Community
	1 Introduction
	2 Jai Bhim: The Disavowal of Human Rights of the Marginalized
	3 Jai Bhim: Corrupt Cops and the Police Station as Hellhole
	4 Jai Bhim: Rights of Others
	References
Between Charity and Rights: Law and the Struggle for Worker’s Rights in the Indian Film Industry
	1 A Tale of Two Cricket Matches
	2 Invisible Labor and the Struggle to Organize
	3 The Film Enquiry Committee Report
	4 Formation of Federation of Western India Cine Employees
	5 The Eventual Passing of the Laws
	6 Impact of the Legislation
	7 Conclusion: The More Things Change, the More They Remain the Same
	References
Portrayal of Child Labor in Indian Cinema and the Ground Reality
	1 Introduction
	2 Historical Overview of Child Labor in India
	3 Representative Films on Child Labor
	4 Enforcement Challenges
	5 Impact of Cinematic Portrayals on Public Perception
	6 Conclusion
	References
Disability and Socio-Legal Justice in Indian Cinema
	1 Introduction
	2 Disability Rights in India
	3 Disability Tropes
	4 Disability in Thrillers and Suspense Dramas
	5 Physical Disabilities
	6 Intellectual and Development Disabilities
	7 Genetic and Neurological Conditions and Less-Known Disabilities
	8 Conclusion
	References
Sujata, Sairat, and Beyond: Honor, Human Rights, and Inter-Caste Love in Film
	1 Introduction
	2 Inter-Caste Love Stories in Context
	3 Analyzing Inter-Caste Love Onscreen
	4 Human Rights and Honor
	5 Conclusion
	References
Epilogue