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Dissertation Information for Sudha Rajagopalan

NAME:
- Sudha Rajagopalan

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- History

SCHOOL:
- Indiana University (USA) (2005)

ADVISORS:
- Alexander Rabinowitch

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- Bob Eklof
- Maria Bucur
- Dodona Kiziria

MPACT Status: Incomplete - Not_Inspected

Title: A taste for Indian films: Negotiating cultural boundaries in post-Stalinist Soviet society

Abstract: Between 1954 and 1991, Soviet moviegoers had access to and relished popular films imported from India. These melodramas, where social commentary was embedded in a predominantly romantic story-line, were at variance with prevalent Soviet canonical assumptions about cinema and its purpose.

This dissertation examines the success of Indian melodramas among moviegoers in post-Stalinist society. It also explores the processes of import, cultural mediation and audience engagement that emerged around this cultural product. Using interviews, surveys, policy documents, press/academic articles and audience letters, this dissertation explores why moviegoers appreciated Indian melodramas and whether this audience enjoyed a legitimate and public presence in the post-Stalinist era.

Interviews and questionnaire findings reveal that Soviet spectators delighted in Indian popular cinema primarily because it was otherworldly and offered 'escape' from their mundane realities and/or from other cinemas, even while it demonstrated cultural prescriptions and historical features akin to those of Soviet society.

Research indicates that policy makers imported these films to ensure the reciprocal export of Soviet films to India for geo-political interests and to satisfy domestic demand for entertainment. Furthermore, despite the body of critical opinion that often challenged the audiences' penchant for such light 'escapist' fare, fans' letters that defended their interest in Indian films and criticized domestic productions were accommodated and entertained in public forums.

State patronage of Indian melodramas and the public space that the melodrama audience was allowed demonstrate that audience enjoyment of these 'otherworldly' films and their indulgence in 'escape' occurred within the parameters of officially prescribed culture. Furthermore, audience reception of Indian melodramas exhibits the influence of a global actor other than America in shaping cultural preferences in post-Stalinist Soviet society.

MPACT Scores for Sudha Rajagopalan

A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2010-09-22 20:11:22

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