Wanted Cultured Ladies Only! maps out the early culture of cinema stardom in India from its emergence in the silent era to the decade after Indian independence in the mid-twentieth century. Neepa Majumdar combines readings of specific films and stars with an analysis of the historical and cultural configurations that gave rise to distinctly Indian notions of celebrity. She argues that discussions of early cinematic stardom in India must be placed in the context of the general legitimizing discourse of colonial "improvement" that marked other civic and cultural spheres as well, and that "vernacular modernist" anxieties over the New Woman had limited resonance here. Rather, it was through emphatically nationalist discourses that Indian cinema found its model for modern female identities.

Considering questions of spectatorship, gossip, popularity, and the dominance of a star-based production system, Majumdar details the rise of film stars such as Sulochana, Fearless Nadia, Lata Mangeshkar, and Nargis

Charting the rise of the film star in early Indian cinema

About the Author
Neepa Majumdar is an associate professor of English and film at the University of Pittsburgh.

Reviews
"A brilliant, groundbreaking study that illuminates a heretofore little known era of Indian cinema. Its combination of rich historical research, rigorous analysis, and sophisticated critical insight marks the best, most effective film criticism." Corey K. Creekmur, co-editor of Cinema, Law, and the State in Asia "This enjoyable study is the only work of its kind on female stardom and Indian cinema. Majumdar examines a crucial turning point in Indian film history with the decline of the studio system, the rise of the star, and the coming of playback singing." Rachel Dwyer, author of Filming the Gods: Religion and Indian Cinema



Book Information
ISBN 9780252076282
Author Neepa Majumdar
Format Paperback
Page Count 272
Imprint University of Illinois Press
Publisher University of Illinois Press
Weight(grams) 426g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 18mm