Abstract

The South Asian film industries have always found a niche in formula films that would cater to its audiences a free mix of action and comedy, preferably with a rich amount of romance in a well-‘melo’-ed drama (Ganti, 2004). Most of the commercially successful formula films in this region often house powerful film techniques which are Brechtian in nature. This paper locates them in select South Asian cult films. Brechtian techniques are quintessential to the Third cinema, which shuns the establishment and “commerce” altogether. Therefore, the paper takes an interest to comment on whether it is possible for these South Asian commercial films to do justice to Brechtian techniques or not. To do so, the paper has adopted the theoretical approaches of the Screen theorists who heavily align their thoughts with political and third cinema filmmakers. Espousing Screen theory, this paper analyzes the contents, i.e. select South Asian films [which are Beder Meye Josna (1989), Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Punjab Nahi Jaungi (2017), and Chhakka Panja (2016)], and identifies employed Brechtian techniques in them such as freeze frame, direct audience addressing, use of songs and dance sequences to disrupt the linear storytelling as well as recognizable crossdressing in order to evaluate the uses or abuses of the techniques to gain commercial success in the market.

摘要

南亚电影业一直在公式电影中找到一席之地，它可以为观众提供动作和喜剧的自由组合，最好在一部“甜”式的戏剧中加入丰富的浪漫情节（Ganti，2004）。该地区大多数商业上成功的配方电影通常采用强大的电影技术，这些技术本质上是布莱希特式的。本文将它们定位在精选的南亚邪教电影中。布莱希特的技术是第三电影院的精髓，它完全避开了建立和“商业”。因此，本文有兴趣评论这些南亚商业电影是否有可能公正对待布莱希特技术。为此，本文采用了Screen的理论方法。与政治和第三电影制片人的思想高度一致的理论家。本文支持屏幕理论，分析内容，即选择南亚电影[分别是Beder Meye Josna (1989)、Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995)、Punjab Nahi Jaungi (2017)和Chhakka Panja (2016)]，并确定他们在其中采用了布莱希特技术，例如定格、直接向观众讲话、使用歌曲和舞蹈序列来破坏线性叙事以及可识别的变装，以评估这些技术的使用或滥用，从而在市场上获得商业成功。