Advertise on podcast: The Desi Gaze

This episode unpacks one of the most important Indian films, Ankur (seedling) directed by the late Shyam Benegal. It stars veterans of Hindi, Oriya, and Kannada films: Shabana Azmi, Sadhu Meher, and Anant Nag in pivotal roles. Ankita and Azhar discuss how caste affects desires and the complex interplay of cowardice and casteist power represented through the character, Surya. Allegedly based on real incident, Ankur remains a testament of powerful storytelling in Indian cinema. It generates a nostalgia, a desire to go back to the socialist foundations of Indian/Hindi cinema being lost in the post 2014 Hindutva era. Can such a film be still made today?  Hope you enjoy! Please subscribe, leave a review, and/or feel free to email us at [email protected] Follow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thedesigazepodcast/

In this short episode, Ankita unpacks the 1967 Hindi film Around the World starring Raj Kapoor, Rajshree, Mehmood, and Pran. In a reversal to his socialist image, Raj Kapoor plays a millionaire embarking on a world tour but there's a problem. He only has eight US dollars. The film is touted as a mindless film but Ankita argues that this is one of the most important Cold War films made in Bollywood. Enjoy!

The student, the educator, the cinephile, and the rebellious Indian combine in this episode to unpack the relevance of the 2006 Hindi film Rang De Basanti. Ankita and Azhar do so via the Cockroach Janta Party led student protests unfolding in India. Consider this a tribute to revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh, the rebellious spirit of Indian masses, and India as well–the India which at one point aimed to be the symbol of decoloniality. The hosts extend their solidarity to the Indian students, complicate CJP, criticize mainstream Bollywood's cowardly right-wing turn while unpacking questions like: 1) What is revolutionary optimism? 2) What are the reasons behind the pessimistic belief that protests lead to nothing? 3) Why are the Indian students protesting and hows does RDB blur the lines between fact and fiction? 4) Why is RDB is still a relevant radical political film?   References: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly72e3zrjno

Ankita and Azhar unpack one of the finest war films in Bollywood history. Though set in 1962 during the Indo-China war, Haqeeqat (Reality) deals with the trauma of losing Jawahar Lal Nehru and perhaps his vision for a non-aligned India. Dharmendra, Balraj Sahni, Sudhir, Vijay Anand, Jayant, and Priya Rajvansh star. While the film can be seen as a cinematic revenge against China's aggression in 1962, it nonetheless opens the questions about war-labor, absurdity of human-made borders, illusion of nation, postcolonial sovereignty, ideal citizenry and more. Ankita and Azhar engage in a complex discussion of the film while lamenting the impossibility of such films being made in Bollywood today.

Our latest episode dicusses one of the finest and heavily overlooked Hindi film Yahudi (English: The Jew) from 1958. Starring Dilip Kumar, Meena Kumari, Sohrab Modi, and Nazir Hussain, the film is a testament of postcolonial ethnic solidarity that shaped Bollywood. It is based on the play Yahudi Ki Ladki by the Urdu poet, playwright, and dramatist Agha Hashar Kashmiri,  a classic in Parsi-Urdu theatre. Wajahat Mirza's dialogues are outstanding while Shankar Jaikishan's melodies haunt. Directed by the socialist Bengali filmmaker, Bimal Roy and produced by the Jewish-Indian sound enginner Savak Vacha, the film imagines Jewish persecution in Roman Empire to tell a story of love, empathy, and the sheer idiocy of religious and hyper nationalist hatred. For Azhar, this film is a healing balm to the Indian population traumatized and wounded by Partition and Ankita thinks it is time we bring back the amalgamation of socialism, literariness, and melodrama back to Bollywood!  Hope you enjoy this episode!

Happy Karl Marx Day! In this episode Ankita is joined by Zane Merritt as they unpack the 1973 Hindi film Abhimaan. Dr. Merritt is a freelance musician and academic currently residing in Buffalo New York. He holds a PhD in western classical music composition from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a Masters' degree in classical guitar performance from Butler University. He has performed his own music and those of his colleagues internationally, performing solo concerts in Toronto, New York City, and Nagoya, Japan as well as appearing as a featured soloist with the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra and the Slee Sinfonietta. As an academic, he has taught courses on composition, music theory, and vernacular music such as The Beatles and Heavy Metal. He is currently the instructor of record for "Bollywood and South Asian Cinema" at the University at Buffalo. Abhimaan stars Amitabh and Jaya Bachhan along with the phenomenal Bindu and Asrani in pivotal roles. Ankita sees this film as a befitting response to western capitalist imperialism heightening during the cold war. Whether Mukherjee intended it or not, the film is a staunch critique of hyper individualism that capitalism promotes. Hope you enjoy this episode! Write to us at [email protected] As always, subscribe to the podcast, and don't forget to leave us a review!

In this episode, we discuss the 1974 blockbuster Hindi film Roti. The film stars Rajesh Khanna, Mumtaz, Pinchoo Kapoor, Sujit, Nirupa Roy, and Om Prakash along with the who's who of 70's Bollywood. We love Roti for its stellar soundtrack but even more for the subtle pro-China subtext during the cold war era. Manmohan Desai was an expert of Masala films (a mix of genres) and here, he brilliantly uses and abuses the many possibilities of melodrama to push for a more socialist aligned narrative during a time when India was determined to stay non-aligned. Was this a result of the anti-imperialist leadership of Indira Gandhi? Or could this film be a quiet rebellion when communist movemment in India was being deliberately crushed? Many readings are possible.  Write to us at [email protected] As always, subscribe to the podcast, and don't forget to leave us a review!

We bring you the first ever Hindi film jointly produced by India and the Soviet Union–the 1957 film Pardesi (Khozhdenie Za Tri Moray or The Foreigner), starring Oleg Strizhenov, Nargis, Padmini, and Balraj Sahani along with a special appearance by Prithviraj Kapoor. Made in Russian and Hindi, this film is a testament of Indo-Soviet solidarity. It is based on travelogues of a 15th century Russian traveler Afanasy Nikitin who wrote a memoir called A Journey Beyond the Three Seas.   Ankita and Azhar discuss the importance of watching this film today, its portrayal of East-West cultural engagagement and why this film matters especially today when US imperialism has gone berserk.  Here is the blog post mentioned by Ankita Also, listen to this fanstastic episode on the Soviet film Letter Never Sent by Cold War Cinema podcast   Write to us at [email protected] As always, subscribe to the podcast, and don't forget to leave us a review!

Two besties analyze Mrinal Sen's powerful 1982 Bengali film Kharij (English translation: The Case is Dismissed). Based on the 1974 novel of the same name, the film follows a family after thier child servant dies of carbon monoxide poisoning. Dr. Udita Mukherjee, a geoscientist and a Bengali film enthusiast joins Dr. Ankita Rathour in unpacking the film through a Marxist-feminist lens, providing crucial insights into their own lives and the labor abuse that still defines postcolonial India. Watch this essential film, a pioneering parallel cinema that shakes the bourgeoise comforts in best ways possible. Write to us at [email protected] As always, subscribe to the podcast, and don't forget to leave us a review!

Ankita and Azhar analyze India's Cold War anxities through the 1968 Hindi spy thriller Ankhen (Eyes), directed by Ramanand Sagar. India is facing a crisis as its "enemies" are fueling riots within the nation. Concerned citizens and businessmen take it on themselves to protect national sovereignty and defeat the enemies who remain nameless and are signified through a concoction of Mao, Hitler, Napolean. Is such a muddled narrative deliberate? Is the film a cold war (US friendly) propoganda? Or is the film emblematic of India's infamous non-alignment? The co-hosts dive deeper into the meanings of the film, its value, its propagandist appeal while critiquing US imperialism's role in destablizing socialist/communist aspirations of the rising East. Write to us at [email protected] As always, subscribe to the podcast, and don't forget to leave us a review!

Ankita continues to expand her thoughts/feelings on Dhurandhar, but this time with two of her favorite people–Vignesh Burugupalli and Mihika Gottimukkala. The three forged a cinephilic friendship after Ankita's Global Bollywood class last year. Continuing the discourse, the three chat about their reactions, complex feelings, and criticisms of Dhurandhar. Ankita ends the episode by arguing that Dhurandhar marks the era of Cold War 2.0 in India. We would love to hear from you. Please feel free to write to us at [email protected] As always, subscribe to the podcast, and don't forget to leave us a review!

Happy New Year! Ankita introduces season two "Before the Collapse" as she recovers from acute bronchitis (welp!) But there's more...she shares her thoughts on Dhurandhar, arguably, India's biggest blockbuster film. This film has genearted a lot of interest, debate, and chaos. As Ankita tries to make sense of her messy experience of watching the film, she invites Jason Christian, who is the co-host of Cold War Cinema podcast (and Ankita's husband!). For season 2, TDG will unpack the cold war era in the Indian film context along with some wonderful guests on the way! Stay tuned. As always, please subscribe to the podcast, and don't forget to leave us a review!

For October, Ankita and Azhar delve deep into the phenomenon, the legend, and the alleged last star of Bollywood – Shah Rukh Khan, also known as SRK. Why not a film? Because both have discussed their fascination and critique of the megastar on and off. This is a labor of love and a gaze back from SRK's two ardent fans.  What makes SRK great? Why does SRK still rule? How has the far-right attack on the star affected SRK's fandom? Do artists have a social responsibility?  The hosts unpack, celebrate, criticize SRK, and, in extension, a film industry that seems to be losing its foundational ethos of socialist, revolutionary filmmaking. As always, please subscribe to the podcast, and don't forget to leave us a review!  We will be taking a break until the end of this year! From January 2026, we will bring you seasons dedicated to a particular theme, along with some brilliant guests!   Reading recommendations: When the Hindu Right Came for Bollywood Image credit: Creative Commons

Ankita and Azhar take you to Bihar this time–the richest Indian region before colonialism–plundered by many invading forces, including the British Raj and East India Company. Damul is a film about bonded labor and casteism. It is based on the story "Kaalsootra" by Shaiwal, a native writer of Gaya, Bihar. Ankita and Azhar dive deeper into the political economy of caste and gender while critically analysing the possibilities of resistance in a land notorious for violence. A native of Bihar herself, Ankita weaves experience and insight to discuss one of the most realistic portrayals of Bihar's socio-political culture.  Note: The co-hosts use words like Chamaar, Ahir, etc., in connection to labor explicitly. They acknowledge how these words are often used as slurs by Savarnas and vehemently reject the negative connotations associated with them.  As always, please subscribe to the podcast, and don't forget to leave us a review!

They say, save the best for last! We end our special series with an episode on myriad meanings and observations on Bollywood with Ankita's former students: Kandarp Vadia, Parth Parikh, Sai Lalith Kanumuri, and Vignesh Burugupalli. Our guests begin the discussion with the importance of Hindi films for the desi diaspora along with presenting crucial insights into the problems of (mis) representation, the use of CGI, issues of adapting/borrowing/stealing stories etc. Though difference in opinions arise here and there, all the participants do agree on the postcolonial power of Hindi film and the spirit of storytelling the contemporary Hindi filmmakers must return to.  Azhar miscalculated the time difference and could not make it. Though, Ankita and he have decided to be back for an episode before taking a much-needed summer break.    Show these youngsters some love, please like and subscribe!