Film Rudaali

Please write a response to the film Rudaali.

• Your response should be approximately 500 words (quality is MUCH more important than length; you can write more if you wish).
• Please construct a response that answers the following:
• 1. Offer a concise description of the film’s setting (for instance by describing the village’s economy, social structure, religious landscape, and the societal changes that are occurring in the story).
• Tip: Be careful not to conflate the era of the film’s settingand the date of the film’s production!
• 2. How the film is persuasive/effective in conveying its criticism of religion?
• 3. Why this film is still relevant today?
• 4. What was your favourite scene and why? (A “scene” means a specific situation or interaction in the film; it is not an idea or topic).

Grading Criteria

Your assignment will be graded according to the following criteria:

• Does your assignment contain concrete quotations from the film?
• You must include at least 4 direct quotations (a minimum of 1 direct quotation for each of the four questions asked above). “Direct quotations” means a quotation that is taken, word-for-word, from the subtitles. Each quotation must be followed by a timestamp. For example: (Part 1: 09:04-09:07). In other words, the timestamp tells the reader exactly where in the film the quotation comes from.
• Does your assignment contain concrete details from the film?
• You must also include 4 direct details (a minimum of 1 direct detail for each of the four questions asked above). “Direct detail” means a circumstance or situation that appears in the film. Each detail must be followed by a timestamp. For example: (Part 3: 09:04-09:07). In other words, the timestamp tells the reader exactly where in the film the detail appears.
• Does your assignment go beyond the obvious?
• Did you go use the most basic and obvious analysis? Did you sufficiently elaborate your points? Are your arguments sufficiently developed?

As you answer the assignment questions, are you providing evidence for your answers? Reference specific scenes, conversations, conflicts, imagery, and so on in the film. Beware that answers generated by AI (e.g., ChatGPT) often provide fake details about a film (e.g., a wedding that never happened in the film, an insult that nobody said in the film). ChatGPT also generates irrelevant content (e.g., a description/analysis of the musical score). If there are any fabricateddetails, this category will be given a grade of zero).

You will not be given any credit for content provided without any timestamps. Part 5: Caste

Welcome to Part 5: Caste

*all materials are required viewing/reading unless labelled optional

In this section, we are going to watch Rudaali (1993). I converted the DVD and uploaded it below (in 4 parts). Please read through the following information and watch the film when you are prompted. (You should all watch the version uploaded here). After you have watched the film and completed this page, please complete the following:

Quiz 5 (Deadline: Wednesday, February 11)

Assignment 1 (Deadline: Friday, February 13)

Please note that you should watch the film before attempting the quiz.

Please familiarize yourself with the questions and expectations for the assignment before beginning the film.

Information About Rudaali

Director: Kalpana Lajmi (1954 2018)

an independent filmmaker largely working in parallel cinema (see previous pages for description/definition)

her films typically explore the experience of women

The film is an adaptation of a short story, entitled Rudaali, written by the famous Bengali writer Mahasweta Devi (19262016).

The film is about rudaalis, professional mourning women, particularly associated with Rajasthan.

Setting of the film: Rajasthan, India, pre-Independence (i.e., late colonial period), undated (probably 1940s).

The economic system depicted is the zamindari economic system (a form of feudalism), which is a result of Mughal societal structures, which persisted into the colonial period, particularly within princely states (see previous course content about colonial governance).

Topic: status / caste; specifically a case of caste in a small village.

Main character: Shanichari (Saturnine [lit. of Saturn] in English) who was born on a Saturday (Shanichar), which is considered a bad omen because it is ruled over by the god Saturn (Shani). Shani is considered to be an inauspicious god who can bring misfortune.

Background Context: Caste

The Portuguese used their word casta meaning race, tribe, lineage to describe the thousands of social groups upon their arrival in India in 1498. *That is to say, the word “caste” is itself not originally Indian/South Asian.

Most generally, caste is a form of social stratification, involving:

hereditary transmission

marriage restrictions

spiritual purity

South Asian society is often seen as the most paradigmatic example of caste in the world, although caste is also pronounced in many other locations.

When applied to India, caste often refers to two concepts: varna and jati.

The four varnas, mentioned in ancient Sanskrit religious literature (like the Vedas and Dharmashastras) are:

Brahmins: priests, scholars

Kshatriyas: rulers, warriors

Vaishyas: agriculturalists, merchants

Shudras: laborers, servants

Communities (historically or in modern times) may or may not belong (entirely or partially) to one of these varnas.

Aside from the varnas, there are various groups of clans, tribes, communities, and sub-communities throughout South Asia. Each group, referred to as a jati or birth, is typically associated with a profession. Sometimes, jatis overlap with multiple varnas.

The Caste System

Many academics argue that caste today is the result of various factors, especially:

The collapse of the Mughal empire after which society was reshaped into new social groups, often out of casteless communities.

British Colonialism

British rulers used rigid caste groupings as a means of administration and privileged certain groups (Christians, Parsis, and others).

The British censuses in particular greatly reorganized and solidified groups.

The British sought in many cases to (artificially) organize groups within the four varnas.

All of these efforts were influenced by Britains own rigid class system.

Academics argue about whether the origin of caste in India is ultimately religious or economic.

From 1948 (post Independence), caste discrimination is banned by law in India, although caste continues to persist in society.

While negative discrimination is banned by law, the government officially recognizes certain categories of castes/groups. Historically disadvantaged groups benefit from affirmative action benefits, such as job opportunities.

*Caste groups may or may not be religiously recognized / enshrined in religious doctrine. The ancient Hindu texts, beginning with the Vedas, but also especially the Dharmashastras, asserted that the varna categories of humans have existed since the beginning of time. Only Hindu tradition (traditionally) holds that performing one’s varna duties (or “dharma”) would result in benefits to one’s future lives (through the doctrine of karma). Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism reject that the notion that performing (or not performing) one’s varna duties bears any effects. However, caste groups may persist as social realities within and beyond religious groups. For example, Islamic, Buddhist, and Sikh religious doctrines do not recognize the importance of caste, but different hierarchical or profession-oriented social groups may still exist within these traditions.

*Our Goal for this Film*

It is really difficult to study caste in general, so we are examining a case study. We are examining caste in a late colonial rural community. How does caste feature in social, economic, and religious experiences?

While you watch, please look for the following:

Names of main characters – you’ll need these for the quiz!

Titles (of castes, etc.) used

Any specialized vocabulary (technical terminology)

Interesting cultural behaviours and customs

Good Quotations!

If at time you don’t understand something about the film’s content, please ask a question in the discussion forums.

Please go ahead and watch the film now! Enjoy. Unlike last time, please watch the songs. Typically, the story keeps going while the songs occur.

Part 1 (subtitles available):

Part 2 (subtitles available):

Part 3 (subtitles available):

Part 4 (subtitles available):

Some More Background Information

Rudaali Chart

The zamindars held large amounts of land in India and controlled their peasants, from whom they collected taxes, often acting as intermediaries on behalf of the taluqdars, a group of aristocrats/ruling class.

This economic system existed during the Mughal Empire (15261540; 15551857) and colonial times (16121947).

Both the zamindars and taluqdars were mostly hereditary groups.

Their families used many different titles including Thakur (as in the film), Thevar, Babu, Rai, Rao, Khan, Sardar, Malik, Sri, etc.

The British supported the zamindars, considering them princes (although the British also reduced their land holdings). (See the introductory information on the Princely States in British India.)

The system was abolished during land reforms in 1950 (Bangladesh), India (1951), and Pakistan (1959).

The film is about rudaalis, professional mourning women, particularly associated with Rajasthan.

The title refers to a custom in some parts of Rajasthanwhere aristocratic women were long kept secluded and veiledof hiring professional women mourners on the death of a male relative, a rudaali (pronounced roo-dah-leeliterally, a female weeper) to publicly express the grief that family members, constrained by their high social status, were not permitted to displayor at times, perhaps did not feel. Dressed in black and with unbound hair, a rudaali beat her breast, danced spasmodically, rolled on the ground, and shed copious tears while loudly praising the deceased and lamenting his demise; the ability to hire such a performer was a mark of social status.

From the full reading (optional): https://indiancinema.sites.uiowa.edu/rudaali

Additional Videos

Professional mourning practices by women have also been popular (mostly historically) in other parts of the world:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJUQxelrZX4 (closed captioning available).

Rudaalis have been portrayed in this Indian television commercial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DuAaoZAZVc (subtitles available)

More Notes

Besides caste, rudaalis, and the zamindari economic system, the film also includes a host of other topics, such as the experience/treatment of widows, prostitution, and criticism of brahmanical writings and brahmanical practices (all of which are portrayed in the film Water).

One of the main topics explored in the film is spiritual pollution (the idea that one’s spiritual purity / purity of the soul might be negatively impacted by certain [spiritually dangerous or polluted] people, places, or things).

The criticism of religion seen in Rudaali is closely aligned with the theory of religion put forward by Karl Marx (1818-1883), a German philosopher. According to Marx, religion (in his view, Christianity especially) was a tool used by those in power to oppress the working classes and the poor. How? Religion acts, according to Marx, like a drug (opium in particular), because it deceives poor and working people by comforting them (e.g., into waiting for the afterlife), but as such it distracts them from the root cases of their own exploitation and miserable circumstances.

Watch this very quick video about Marx’ theory of religion: https://www.britannica.com/video/186414/opposition-religion-Karl-Marx (closed captioning available).

Please do this short reading on Rudaali: Rudaali Reading (1)

The original short story (translated into English) is here (OPTIONAL): Rudaali_Short Story.

Other Films about Caste

There are of course plenty of Indian films about caste. Please consider watching another more recent film on the same topic. Here are two excellent examples:

Article 15 (2019) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nme0it4iX94 (subtitles available)

Masaan (2015) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKJfBo3xMW0 (subtitles available; make sure to click on CC for the subtitles).

After you finish the above, please complete the following:

Quiz 5 (Deadline: Wednesday, February 11)

Assignment 1 (Deadline: Friday, February 13)