In this talk, we discuss the portrayals of disability in Indian cinema since the early talkie days, and track the changes in the ways these portrayals have changed over time. We consider three core concepts - dependence, disequilibrium, and punishment. Using video clips from Tamil, Hindi, and Malayalam films from across various decades, we look at how these themes are tied to mythology and religion, and more recently to the idea of a developmental state.
Speaker Bio
Joyojeet Pal is an assistant professor at the School of Information, his research is on technology and accessibility in the Global South. He researched and produced the documentary "For the Love of a Man" on cinema fan culture in India which was nominated for best documentary in the Venice Classics series at the 2015 Venice Film Festival.
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