Celluloid Deities

The Visual Culture of Cinema and Politics in South India

Inbunden, Engelska, 2008

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Beskrivning

Towering billboards featuring photorealistic portraits of popular cinema stars and political leaders dominated the cityscape of Chennai, in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu, throughout the second half of the twentieth century. Studying the manufacture and reception of these billboards—known locally as banners and cutouts—within the context of the entwined histories of the cinema industry and political parties in Tamil Nadu, Preminda Jacob reveals the broader significance of these fragments of visual culture beyond their immediate function as pretty pieces of advertising. Jacob analyzes the juxtaposition of cinematic and political imagery in the extra-cinematic terrain of Chennai's city streets and how this placement was pivotal to the elevation of regional celebrities to cult status. When interpreting these images and discussing their political and cultural resonance within the Tamil Nadu community, Jacob draws upon multiple perspectives to give appropriate context to this fascinating form of visual media.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum:2008-10-23
Mått:163 x 239 x 25 mm
Vikt:637 g
Format:Inbunden
Språk:Engelska
Antal sidor:318
Förlag:Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
ISBN:9780739110607

Utforska kategorier

Mer om författaren

Preminda Jacob is associate professor of art history and theory in the department of visual arts at the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

Recensioner i media

Another book that also deals with an understudied aspect of Indian cinema is Preminda Jacob’s Celluloid Deities: The Visual Culture of Cinema and Politics in South India (Lexington Books 2008). Most of the scholarship on Indian cinema has focused on Hindi cinema—aka “Bollywood,” to the neglect of the rich diversity of filmmaking in other languages in India – and primarily on the narrative elements and thematic significance of these films rather than their associated material and visual culture. Jacob’s book deals with the vibrant visual culture associated with Tamil cinema and its very intense culture of celebrity by focusing on the production and reception of the gigantic, hand-painted billboards that advertise films and the towering portraits of political leaders that dominate the urban landscape of Chennai.

Innehållsförteckning

1 Table of Contents 2 Acknowledgments Chapter 3 Introduction: Of Painters, Politicians, and Film Stars Chapter 4 1. Chennai's Banner Industry Artists and their Methods Chapter 5 2. Cooperation and Conflict in Chennai's Visual Culture: Financiers, Artists and Their Audiences Chapter 6 3. Tamil Cinema: History, Celebrities, Genres Chapter 7 4. Cine Signs: Semiotics of Chennai's Cinema Banners Chapter 8 5. The Coalescence of Tamil Nationalism and the Cinema Industry Chapter 9 6. The Political Cutout: Celebrity and Cult in Tamil Nadu Chapter 10 7. Darshan and Cinematic Spectatorship Chapter 11 8. The Future of Chennai's Visual Culture 12 Bibliography 13 About the Author