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PODCAST

The Desi Gaze

The Desi Gaze is a podcast about (mostly) Hindi films made from the 1930s to the present. The goal is to assert "desi" readings and to dismantle the western gaze that is often imposed on Bollywood films. From the Soviet era to the rise of far-right rhetoric, the podcast will bring in-depth understanding of lesser-known Hindi films, Indian/diasporic socio-political culture, and its often-overlooked nuances. Your hosts are Dr. Ankita Rathour, a scholar of Hindi films and postcolonialism at Georgia

tv & film film history

All Episodes

01:22:02

Shah Rukhnomics: The Man, The Legend, The Star!

The Desi Gaze ·

2025/10/07

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,

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01:04:05

Damul, 1985. Director: Prakash Jha, Hindi

The Desi Gaze ·

2025/08/04

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,

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01:16:33

Special Episode: The Socialist Shelf Podcast

The Desi Gaze ·

2025/06/30

Our co-host Ankita was invited on the The Socialist Shelf podcast, along with her husband, Jason, the co-host of the Cold War Cinema, a podcast about movies made during the first few decades of the Cold War (1947–1991). So, we thought we'd add the episode to our feed as a special episode for July. In this episode, Jason and Ankita dicuss a radical cinema educational project they run in Atlanta, US, called Resistance Cinema, as well as the role that radical cinema plays in social movemets

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01:03:22

SPECIAL SERIES: Diasporic Gazes: with Kandarp, Parth,...

The Desi Gaze ·

2025/06/01

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

en

23:58

SPECIAL SERIES: Diasporic Gazes: Reviewing Global...

The Desi Gaze ·

2025/05/19

May is special! Beyond celebrating May Day, Azhar and Ankita decided to crank it up a notch. As educators, cinephiles, Marxists, and postcolonial scholars, they believe in breaking hierarchies. So they bring you "Diasporic Gazes," a series of special episodes featuring Ankita's film students from her classes on Global Bollywood and Global Other Cinema. In this short episode, Cierra Ferguson and Laksh Makhija reflect on their experience taking Global Bollywood with Dr. Ankita Rathour at Georgia Tech

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30:37

SPECIAL SERIES: Diasporic Gazes: "Bollywood's...

The Desi Gaze ·

2025/05/12

May is special! Beyond celebrating May Day, Azhar and Ankita decided to crank it up a notch. As educators, cinephiles, Marxists, and postcolonial scholars, they believe in breaking hierarchies. So they bring you "Diasporic Gazes," a series of special episodes featuring Ankita's film students from her classes on Global Bollywood and Global Other Cinema. In this episode, Lasya Malladi and Adi Krish unpack masculinity in Hindi and other Indian language films. They rate them over a "rizzometer." It

en

58:22

Aranyak (A Trip into the Jungle), 1994. Director:...

The Desi Gaze ·

2025/04/05

Bougies, colonial hangover, hunting, party, and an unusual dinner! Ankita and Azhar bring you the criminally underrated and one of the most haunting Hindi films, Aranyak (1994), directed by the legendary Odiya cinematographer and screenwriter Apurba Kishore Bir. This film is a testament to Hindi cinema's versatility and uniqueness. It asks you to question the thin line between control and cannibalism, appreciation and objectification, and so much more. It is one of the earliest Hindi films to

en

01:06:41

Bhavni Bhavai (The Tale of the Life), 1980. Director:...

The Desi Gaze ·

2025/03/10

Ankita and Azhar continue their love for Ketan Mehta and Smita Patil by discussing Mehta's Gujarati language debut film Bhavni Bhavai (1980). The film depicts the caste atrocities of India through the lives of Dalits. It uses the popular theater form of Bhavai to bring forth a scathing critique of casteism. Bhavni Bhavai was Ketan Mehta's debut film and received critical acclaim. Mehta won the prestigious Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration. As always please subscribe to

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01:14:19

Mirch Masala (1987; Ketan Mehta)

The Desi Gaze ·

2025/02/01

In this episode, Ankita Rathour and Azharuddin share their love for the trailblazing 1987 Hindi film Mirch Masala directed by the Gujarati filmmaker Ketan Mehta. The film is about Sonabai/Sonbai, a spirited woman who works at a local pepper factory with other women. A subedar working for the British Raj wants her and is not shy to use force. Sonabai runs and hides in her factory while the ageing Muslim security guard, Abu Miyan vows to protect her at any cost when the other men of her village won't

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01:13:00

Dharti Ke Laal (The Children of the Earth), 1946....

The Desi Gaze ·

2024/12/31

Join hosts Ankita Rathour and Azharuddin as they discuss Khwaja Ahmed Abbas's iconic film Dharti Ke Laal (English: Children of the Earth, 1946). The film is a fictionalized depiction of the aftermath of British orchestrated Bengal famine of 1943 in which millions of Bengalis were starved to death to feed Winston Churchill's imperial interests. One of the early films of Indian social-realist film movement, Dharti Ke Laal was immensely popular in the Soviet Union, opening doors for the widespread

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