Glenn D'Cruz

Anglo-Indians in Hollywood, Bollywood and Arthouse Cinema

Apart from a few disparaging remarks about offensive stereotypes by Anglo-Indian writers and politicians such as Gloria Jean Moore, Frank Anthony and Gillian Hart, critics have paid very little attention to the representation of “mixed-race” Anglo-Indians in the cinema. Drawing on screen theory and recent theories of cinema spectatorship, this essay provides a comparative analysis of how Hollywood, Bollywood and arthouse films represent Anglo-Indians. More specifically, it analyses three paradigmatic films: Bhowani Junction (1956), Julie (1975), and 36 Chowringhee Lane (1981). Combining formal analysis of narrative structure, mise-en-scène and genre with historical analysis, the paper examines the ideological work performed by these texts, which use Anglo-Indians to dramatise specific political conflicts in India such as those generated by the British partition of India in 1947 and the more recent issue of globalisation.

Public Narratives, Minority Voices: Re-cognising Anglo-Indians in Cotton Mary

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Contemporary publics: shifting boundaries in new media, technology and culture

If the twentieth century has been dominated by discussions of the public, public life, and the public sphere, Contemporary Publics argues that, in the twenty-first century, we must complicate the singularity of that paradigm and start thinking of our world in terms of multiple, overlapping, and competing publics. In three distinct streams—art, media and technology, and the intimate life—this volume offers up the intellectual and political significance of thinking through the plurality of our publics. “Countering Neoliberal Publics: Screen and Space,” explores how different artistic practices articulate the challenges and desires of multiple publics. “Making and Shaping Publics: Discourse and Technology” showcases how media shape publics, and how new and emerging publics use these technologies to construct identities. “Commodifying Public Intimacies” examines what happens to the notion of the private when intimacies structure publics, move into public spaces, and develop value that can be exchanged and circulated.

Will the real Waleed Aly please stand up?: Media, celebrity and the making of an Australian public intellectual

Waleed Aly is arguably the most visible and vocal Australian public intellectual from a non-Anglo-Australian background. The ubiquitous Aly is a veritable Renaissance man – he is a television presenter, radio host, academic and rock musician. He is also a former lawyer, and served on the executive committee of the Islamic Council of Victoria. In short, he is the ‘go-to ’Muslim for commentary on a wide range of political and civic affairs. This article argues that Alys media profile and celebrity status have as much to do with an Australian cultural imaginary that posits ‘whiteness’ as an uncontestable normative value as it does with Alys undoubted skills as a journalist, academic and cultural commentator. It examines Alys career with reference to Ghassan Hages concept of ‘whiteness’ as a form of aspirational cultural capital and various theories of persona and performativity For Hage, ‘whiteness’ is not a literal skin colour; rather, it consists of elements that can be adopted by individuals and groups (such as nationally valued looks, accents, tastes, cultural preferences and modes of behaviour). While entry to what Hage calls Australias ‘national aristocracy’ is generally predicated on possessing the correct skin tone, it is theoretically possible for dark-skinned people such as Waleed Aly to enter the field of national belonging and partake in public discourse about a range of topical issues. More specifically, the article substantiates its claims about Alys status as a member of Australias cultural aristocracy through a comparative discourse and performance analysis of his presentation of ‘self’ in four distinctive media contexts: Channel 10s The Project, the ABC RN Drive program, ABC TVs Q&A and the SBS comedy-talk show Salaam Café, which looked at the ‘funny side of life as an Australian Muslim’ and showcased other multi-talented Muslim professionals of both genders.

Class Act: Melbourne Workers Theatre 1987-2007

Celebrates the companys artistic achievements and successes over the last two decades through interviews, essays and high quality images of key productions, and recounts its history, its evolving relationship with the embattled trade union movement, and its on-going engagement with working class, indigenous and migrant communities.