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Portrayal of the Muslim community and Islam by Indian cinema post 9/11: An analysis
Abstract
Indian cinema has been a mirror to the multidimensional nature of the subcontinent, be it in its portrayal of Indian culture, society, castes, classes, politics, art, or religion. Movies like Bombay depict the trauma of an inter-religious love and marriage of a young Hindu man and a beautiful Muslim woman, and their ultimate triumph, amidst a communal riot. Muslim terrorism was depicted in movies like Roja, MissionKashmir, Maachis and others, with Kashmir and the IndoPakistan conflict as the theme. Minorities especially Muslims, as spies, traitors, or smugglers, has been a common theme in commercial cinema. This paper attempts to examine the representation of a minority community— the Muslims- in Indian cinema post 9/11. The paper presents a content analysis of the films New York, Anwar and Vishwaroopam.Predominantly, so far, the representation of this minority community in Indian cinema has remained within the dominant discourse, even in its stereotyping.
References
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