[Reader-list] Fwd: NMML Public Lecture_Prof. Patricia Uberoi_10 April 2013

[Nagraj Adve]

Harish, we had discussed Dr Kotnis many years ago.
others, self-explanatory email.
Naga


*The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library*

cordially invites you to a *Public** **Lecture*


 at 3.00 pm on Wednesday, 10 April, 2013

in the Seminar Room, First Floor, Library Building


 on


 *'**Dr.** **Kotnis** **ki** **amar** **kahani** **and** **after:** *

*Images of China in Bombay cinema'*


 by


 *Prof.** **Patricia** **Uberoi*,

Institute of Chinese Studies, Delhi.


 *Abstract:*

China is India’s largest neighbour, yet this country has had minimal
representation in the Indian cinematic imagination. This presentation
focuses on V. Shantaram’s *Dr** **Kotnis** **ki** **Amar** **Kahani** *(*The
** **Immortal** **Story** **of** **Dr** **Kotnis*, 1946), a much-cited and
probably little watched Hindi movie that extols an iconic moment in the
twentieth century history of Sino-Indian relations: the participation of the
Indian Medical Mission to China in China’s liberation struggle against
Japanese occupation, and the tragic death in the field of one of the Mission
’s members, the eponymous Dr D.S. Kotnis. In the ultimate analysis, the film
appears to authorize the symbolic appropriation of the Chinese ‘Other’ to
the paternalistic order of the Indian family just as, in the early years
after Independence, India was to patronize the assimilation of China to the
world order of modern nation-states. This, as we know, proved to be an
unsustainable partnership, setting the stage for the motif of betrayal that
permeates Chetan Anand’s *Haqeeqat** *(1964), the next major cinematic
rendering of India–China relations. Some five decades on from the border war
which forms *Haqeeqat*’s subject matter, Indian public sentiment continues
to be dominated by this deep sense of betrayal and mistrust.


 *Speaker:*

Prof. Patricia Uberoi has taught Sociology at the University of Delhi and
Jawaharlal Nehru University, and retired as Professor of Sociology at the
Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi, where she was also editor of the
well-known sociology journal, *Contributions** **to** **Indian** **
Sociology.** ** *She is currently Honorary Fellow and Vice-Chairperson of
the Institute of Chinese Studies, Delhi, where she has been actively
involved with the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Track Two regional
dialogue. She has published widely on aspects of family, kinship, gender and
popular culture, including cinema, in respect to both India and China.


 *All are welcome.*

*Those** **wishing** **to** **have** **their** **names** **added** **to** **
the** **email** **list** **may** **please** **email** **us** **at** **
nmmldirector at gmail.com**.*