Film Studies aims to create critical viewers of cinema, culture, and media. It aims to make the study of cinema interesting by incorporating various innovative audio-visual teaching methods. Studying different film movements, mainstream cinemas, national cinemas etc. the department tries to give a wholistic understanding of cinema with respect to its history, form, and production-distribution system.
Film Studies tries to help students to read cinema through different perspective — social, political, historical etc. Through the analysis of film texts, the students are encouraged to present their understanding of cinema, rediscover classic texts and appreciate their contemporary films.
In the two semesters of this generic elective program Indian cinema is majorly emphasized. From early Indian cinema to Indian New Wave auteurs, from Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak, Mrinal Sen to contemporary Bollywood, the department tries to make the students aware of Indian cinematic history.
However, there are a list of prescribed texts, the students are still encouraged to watch more and more films to be aware of different styles, forms and practices around cinema.
This is an interdisciplinary program. Hence, students from different honours departments join the course. We believe, the practice of reading a text, analysing a text, being aware of its structure, functioning and ideology should help the students to be a sharper and a critical reader. The program should contribute further to be a more informed student of other disciplines and engage enthusiastically with other audio-visual media.