Visions of Development: Films Division of India and the Imagination of Progress, 1948-75
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Author Description
Visions of Development examines the Indian state's postcolonial development ideology between Independence in 1947 and the Emergency of 1975-77. Sutoris pioneers a novel methodology for the study of development thought and its cinematic representations, analysing films made by the Films Division of India between 1948 and 1975. By comparing these documentaries to late-colonial films on 'progress', his book highlights continuities with and departures from colonial notions of development in modern India. It is the first scholarly volume to be published on the history of Indian documentary film. Of the approximately 250 documentaries analysed by Peter Sutoris, many of which have never been discussed in the existing literature, most are concerned with economic planning and industrialisation, large dams, family planning, schemes aimed at the integration of tribal peoples (Adivasis) into society, and civic education.Almost all films analysed in this volume are available for free online viewing through the website of the Films Division. Links are provided on the companion website www.visionsofdevelopment.com.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
How did the Indian state utilize documentary film to construct and disseminate its postcolonial ideology of progress between 1948 and 1975? Peter Sutoris, an academic specializing in the intersection of development and visual culture, investigates the Films Division of India as a primary instrument of state-building. By analyzing a vast corpus of state-sponsored documentaries, the author argues that these films functioned as a bridge between colonial-era paternalism and the modernizing aspirations of the newly independent Indian nation.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Analysis of approximately 250 documentary films produced by the Films Division of India.
- Comparative study between late-colonial cinematic depictions of progress and post-1947 state narratives.
- Examination of thematic focuses including industrialization, large-scale infrastructure, family planning, and civic education.
Scope Limits
- The study is strictly bounded by the period between 1948 and 1975, concluding before the post-Emergency era.
- The analysis focuses primarily on state-produced documentaries rather than independent or commercial Indian cinema.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars recognize this work as a foundational text for the study of Indian documentary history and state-sponsored media. Experts frequently note the academic rigor of the research and the value of the author's methodology in connecting visual archives to broader political history.
Page Count:
344
Publication Date:
2016-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0190608323
ISBN-13:
9780190608323
History
Motion pictures
Film Studies
Documentary Film
Indian History
