Lahore Lahore Cinema: Between Realism and Fable

Commercial cinema in Lahore, Pakistan, between 1956 and 1969, drew from Bengali performance traditions, Hindu mythology, Parsi theater, Sufi conceptions of the self, Urdu lyric poetry, and Hollywood musicals, offering insights into a period of rapid modernization and cultural affiliation. It challenged the assumption of popular cinema as apolitical and explored how films allowed audiences to navigate an accelerating modernity and tense politics by anchoring social change across the terrain of deeper cultural imaginaries.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 264 pages
Publication date: 08 November 2022
Publisher: University of Washington Press

In South Asia, commercial cinema has played a significant role in driving social and aesthetic modernization. This is evident in the examination of films produced between 1956 and 1969, known as the "long sixties," in Lahore, Pakistan, following the 1947 Partition of South Asia. These films drew inspiration from various cultural traditions, including Bengali performance, Hindu mythology, Parsi theater, Sufi conceptions of the self, Urdu lyric poetry, and Hollywood musicals. By incorporating these diverse elements, the films created a rich tapestry of melodrama and neorealism, engaging with their audiences on multiple levels.

The examination of this layered context provides valuable insights into a period of rapid modernization and cultural affiliation in South Asia. It challenges the notion of popular cinema as apolitical and explores how films facilitated their audiences' navigation through an increasingly complex and politically charged landscape. By anchoring social change within the broader framework of deeper cultural imaginaries, commercial cinema played an influential progressive role during the mid- and later twentieth century in South Asia.

Lahore Cinema is a groundbreaking work that delves into the role of language, rhetoric, lyric, and form in the making of cinematic meaning. It also explores the relevance of the Urdu cultural universe to midcentury Bombay filmmaking. The book challenges the assumption of popular cinema as apolitical and demonstrates how films allowed their audiences to engage with modernity and politics while also providing a space for cultural expression and affiliation.

The open access edition of Lahore Cinema is made possible through TOME (Toward an Open Monograph Ecosystem) and the generous support of Cornell University. This makes the book accessible to a wider audience, promoting knowledge exchange and scholarship in the field of cinema studies.

In conclusion, commercial cinema has been a powerful vector of social and aesthetic modernization in South Asia, and Lahore Cinema provides a valuable contribution to our understanding of this dynamic region. By examining the role of language, rhetoric, lyric, and form in the making of cinematic meaning, as well as the relevance of the Urdu cultural universe to midcentury Bombay filmmaking, the book offers insights into a period of rapid change and cultural affiliation. The open access edition of Lahore Cinema ensures that this important work is accessible to a broader audience, promoting knowledge exchange and scholarship in the field of cinema studies.

Weight: 414g
Dimension: 152 x 228 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780295750811