Radhika Raghav | University of Otago (original) (raw)
Papers by Radhika Raghav
Film, Fashion & Consumption, 2020
The career of 1930s film star Devika Rani (1908–94), often described as ‘the first lady of Indian... more The career of 1930s film star Devika Rani (1908–94), often described as ‘the first lady of Indian cinema’, both confirms and challenges the received view that the nationalists’ rewritings of traditional femininity constituted the most significant force in the formation of the continent’s New Woman. Rani’s star persona demonstrates how both modernity and consumer culture, while subjected to nationalist ideology, exercised a degree of influence over the tastes and lifestyles of women living in urban centres such as Bombay and Delhi. As a member of the prominent Tagore family, which included a Nobel Prize-winning poet, and of the kulin caste, Rani enjoyed a privileged status that allowed her to embody a self-defining individual who was specifically ‘feminine and modern’ while also ‘Indian’. Drawing on the wealth of photographic material that this actress left behind, this article teases out the complexities of her trajectory as an emblematic icon of twentieth-century Indian femininity....
Bollywood film star Ranveer Singh’s fashion choices are often defined as eccentric, outlandish an... more Bollywood film star Ranveer Singh’s fashion choices are often defined as eccentric, outlandish and even androgynous, in particular, his much-talked-about public appearances in bright floral pantsuits, or kohl-lined eyes and man-skirts are discussed in popular media as subverting gender norms and challenging gender binaries. Commenting on the shift in representation of contemporary Bollywood’s male protagonist, film scholars have argued that Singh embodies ‘metrosexual masculinity’ in neoliberal India and that his on- and off-screen persona involves deliberate scripting of a ‘feminist’ and ‘less patriarchally structured masculinity’. Testing the extent of the assertions mentioned above, I examine Singh’s media persona as a site of cultural production and a form of social reproduction. I use a feminist theoretical framework, and gender studies debates to critique Singh’s negotiations with gender and sexuality in his media images across – film, advertisement and social media. I argue t...
Le Genre & L'écran, 2022
Ce n'est un secret pour personne que l'industrie de Bollywood est devenue une véritable machine d... more Ce n'est un secret pour personne que l'industrie de Bollywood est devenue une véritable machine de guerre médiatique au service de Narendra Modi depuis qu'il est le Premier ministre de l'Inde en 2014. Ce n'est toutefois pas un phénomène nouveau, car les célébrités médiatiques agissent depuis longtemps comme des agents idéologiques qui promeuvent le programme d'un leader ou d'un parti politique. Bollywood, cependant, se comporte un peu différemment dans la situation actuelle.
Australasian Journal of American Studies, 2021
AJAS (ISSN 0705-7311) is the official journal of the Australian and New Zealand American Studies ... more AJAS (ISSN 0705-7311) is the official journal of the Australian and New Zealand American Studies Association (ANZASA).
Critical Studies in Men’s Fashion, 2020
Film, Fashion & Consumption, 2020
The career of 1930s film star Devika Rani (1908-94), often described as 'the first lady of Indian... more The career of 1930s film star Devika Rani (1908-94), often described as 'the first lady of Indian cinema', both confirms and challenges the received view that the nationalists' rewritings of traditional femininity constituted the most significant force in the formation of the continent's New Woman. Rani's star persona demonstrates how both modernity and consumer culture, while subjected to nationalist ideology, exercised a degree of influence over the tastes and lifestyles of women living in urban centres such as Bombay and Delhi. As a member of the prominent Tagore family, which included a Nobel Prize-winning poet, and of the kulin caste, Rani enjoyed a privileged status that allowed her to embody a self-defining individual who was specifically 'feminine and modern' while also 'Indian'. Drawing on the wealth of photographic material that this actress left behind, this article teases out the complexities of her trajectory as an emblematic icon of twentieth-century Indian femininity. In particular her use of costuming in her starring roles, in films such as Karma, Achhut Kanya and Nirmala, illustrates how she promoted new modes of autonomy and agency for the female subject.
In 2014, Blue Oyster commissioned a new work by Juliet Carpenter to complete the 2015 programme o... more In 2014, Blue Oyster commissioned a new work by Juliet Carpenter to complete the 2015 programme of exhibitions. In the following interview, Radhika Raghav and Juliet Carpenter discuss how summer of supine (December 2015) and forerunning film Ingènue (Artspace, September 2015) combine filmic qualities to produce narratives that collapse between natural and digital phenomena, complicating the relationship between femininity and technology.
ICON NMI Journal of History of Art, 2015
Film, Fashion & Consumption, 2020
The career of 1930s film star Devika Rani (1908–94), often described as ‘the first lady of Indian... more The career of 1930s film star Devika Rani (1908–94), often described as ‘the first lady of Indian cinema’, both confirms and challenges the received view that the nationalists’ rewritings of traditional femininity constituted the most significant force in the formation of the continent’s New Woman. Rani’s star persona demonstrates how both modernity and consumer culture, while subjected to nationalist ideology, exercised a degree of influence over the tastes and lifestyles of women living in urban centres such as Bombay and Delhi. As a member of the prominent Tagore family, which included a Nobel Prize-winning poet, and of the kulin caste, Rani enjoyed a privileged status that allowed her to embody a self-defining individual who was specifically ‘feminine and modern’ while also ‘Indian’. Drawing on the wealth of photographic material that this actress left behind, this article teases out the complexities of her trajectory as an emblematic icon of twentieth-century Indian femininity....
Bollywood film star Ranveer Singh’s fashion choices are often defined as eccentric, outlandish an... more Bollywood film star Ranveer Singh’s fashion choices are often defined as eccentric, outlandish and even androgynous, in particular, his much-talked-about public appearances in bright floral pantsuits, or kohl-lined eyes and man-skirts are discussed in popular media as subverting gender norms and challenging gender binaries. Commenting on the shift in representation of contemporary Bollywood’s male protagonist, film scholars have argued that Singh embodies ‘metrosexual masculinity’ in neoliberal India and that his on- and off-screen persona involves deliberate scripting of a ‘feminist’ and ‘less patriarchally structured masculinity’. Testing the extent of the assertions mentioned above, I examine Singh’s media persona as a site of cultural production and a form of social reproduction. I use a feminist theoretical framework, and gender studies debates to critique Singh’s negotiations with gender and sexuality in his media images across – film, advertisement and social media. I argue t...
Le Genre & L'écran, 2022
Ce n'est un secret pour personne que l'industrie de Bollywood est devenue une véritable machine d... more Ce n'est un secret pour personne que l'industrie de Bollywood est devenue une véritable machine de guerre médiatique au service de Narendra Modi depuis qu'il est le Premier ministre de l'Inde en 2014. Ce n'est toutefois pas un phénomène nouveau, car les célébrités médiatiques agissent depuis longtemps comme des agents idéologiques qui promeuvent le programme d'un leader ou d'un parti politique. Bollywood, cependant, se comporte un peu différemment dans la situation actuelle.
Australasian Journal of American Studies, 2021
AJAS (ISSN 0705-7311) is the official journal of the Australian and New Zealand American Studies ... more AJAS (ISSN 0705-7311) is the official journal of the Australian and New Zealand American Studies Association (ANZASA).
Critical Studies in Men’s Fashion, 2020
Film, Fashion & Consumption, 2020
The career of 1930s film star Devika Rani (1908-94), often described as 'the first lady of Indian... more The career of 1930s film star Devika Rani (1908-94), often described as 'the first lady of Indian cinema', both confirms and challenges the received view that the nationalists' rewritings of traditional femininity constituted the most significant force in the formation of the continent's New Woman. Rani's star persona demonstrates how both modernity and consumer culture, while subjected to nationalist ideology, exercised a degree of influence over the tastes and lifestyles of women living in urban centres such as Bombay and Delhi. As a member of the prominent Tagore family, which included a Nobel Prize-winning poet, and of the kulin caste, Rani enjoyed a privileged status that allowed her to embody a self-defining individual who was specifically 'feminine and modern' while also 'Indian'. Drawing on the wealth of photographic material that this actress left behind, this article teases out the complexities of her trajectory as an emblematic icon of twentieth-century Indian femininity. In particular her use of costuming in her starring roles, in films such as Karma, Achhut Kanya and Nirmala, illustrates how she promoted new modes of autonomy and agency for the female subject.
In 2014, Blue Oyster commissioned a new work by Juliet Carpenter to complete the 2015 programme o... more In 2014, Blue Oyster commissioned a new work by Juliet Carpenter to complete the 2015 programme of exhibitions. In the following interview, Radhika Raghav and Juliet Carpenter discuss how summer of supine (December 2015) and forerunning film Ingènue (Artspace, September 2015) combine filmic qualities to produce narratives that collapse between natural and digital phenomena, complicating the relationship between femininity and technology.
ICON NMI Journal of History of Art, 2015