Between Science and Mythology: The World of Bollywood Science Fiction Film
A presentation by Dr. Asma Sayed, KPU English Department.
Science fiction, generally recognized as a genre that developed in the late 19th century, usually deals with contemporary social anxieties, and provides a commentary on the issues that we face in our day-to-day lives.
The fictional or imagined world is made credible through a variety of real/unreal scientific theories or pseudo-science. In the West, SF films have been extremely popular. However, Indian films do not have significant representation in the SF genre. Hollywood style SF films have not appealed much to the Indian audiences which are all too used to formulaic musicals. Nonetheless, there have been some interesting developments in the field in the last decade.
Taking some of the contemporary Hindi science fiction films, especially Ra.One, a 2011 mega-technology cyberpunk film, and PK, an SF comedy, as examples, this presentation will provide an overview of the development of science fiction film in India and open a discussion about the role cinema can play, if any, in raising awareness about ethical use of science and in bringing change to our modern social order.
Doors open at 6pm. There will be hands-on science activities and demonstrations.