Course Description:

The Hindi film industry, known colloquially as Bollywood, is a colorful extravaganza of music, dance, and drama. Over the years, it has gradually taken the nation and the international community by storm, inspiring an enormous fan following around the globe. In this course, we seek to delve into the intricacies of Bollywood and understand its wide appeal by studying the important societal themes and cultural subtleties that Bollywood films reveal. We will watch Bollywood movies and read critical literature addressing a particular topic or theme relevant to each film to broaden our understanding of Indian culture and its booming film industry. Through the process, we hope to share and enjoy the magic of Bollywood cinema.

Course Grading:

Attendance is mandatory. Class will meet once every week. Two unexcused absences are allowed, but students should notify facilitators beforehand. Students are expected to actively engage in discussions and keep up with the reading materials from the syllabus. Meetings will include a film screening followed by a short discussion of themes and the reading for the week. Weekly quizzes will consist of 3 questions each. Two quizzes may be dropped during semester in order to account for absences and act as a grade buffer. Participation will be monitored throughout the semester and will be graded on a 3 point scale: 0 points for no participation, 1 point for low participation, and 2 points for engagement and participation throughout the semester.

• Participation 25%


• Attendance 20%


• Quizzes 25%


• Final Project 30%

The final project can be any type of multimedia or written work, which is either a summary or in-depth analysis of the topics that we cover in the class. Some projects you might consider: a short (2-3) page paper analyzing a theme you found interesting from the class, a film review of one of the movies we watched, a short film, video, or dance performance addressing a topic from the class which links back to a movie or topic discussed. However, multimedia projects must include a written component. This does not be to be presented, but should be turned in on the final day of class and should also summarize or address a particular theme from the class. Multimedia final topics will be showcased on the last day of class. 70% is the passing grade for the course.

Hi everyone, Our class number is 34732, Anthropology 198, Section 020. We will be holding class in 126 Barrows on Monday, January 30th, from 4-6pm. As always, please let us know if you have any questions. You can email us at bollywood101decal@gmail.com if you have any more questions. Looking forward to seeing you all on Monday. Sorry for all the inconveniences! Thank you!