Films and Feminism: Essays in Indian Cinema explores both mainstream and parallel cinema for an analysis of the woman image, the idea of romance, the imposition and defiance of patriarchal order and a woman’s journey towards self-definition.

Films reach a wider audience than literature as they move across the barriers of class, literacy, religion and even language. Not only do they reflect reality, they also construct reality. Their reach and impact makes it imperative to work through the rhetoric and melodrama of the medium to unearth the subtleties and ambiguities which lie within.

This second edition, with a new introduction attempts to capture the shifts that have taken place since its earlier publication. With four new essays supplementing the earlier twenty four, the shifts in film techniques and film audiences, the blurring of the line between alternative and commercial cinema and women’s image of themselves are brought out. Largely focusing on Hindi cinema, there is also a reflection of Bengali and Kannada cinema. This new edition enlarges the scope of the inquiry into feminist concerns and feminine representation.

The volume makes a significant contribution to film, gender and literary studies as it opens up multiple dimensions of inquiry.