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About the show
The Desi Gaze is a podcast about (mostly) Hindi films made from the 1930s to the present. The goal is to assert "desi" readings and to dismantle the western gaze that is often imposed on Bollywood films. From the Soviet era to the rise of far-right rhetoric, the podcast will bring in-depth understanding of lesser-known Hindi films, Indian/diasporic socio-political culture, and its often-overlooked nuances. Your hosts are Dr. Ankita Rathour, a scholar of Hindi films and postcolonialism at Georgia Tech, and Azharuddin, a Ph.D. candidate at Louisiana State University, whose research revolves around post-9/11 literary culture. Ankita's website is https://sites.gatech.edu/ankitarathour/. The logo is by Ankita Rathour. The editors are Jason Christian and Ankita Rathour. Music is by Sujay Govindaraj.
Thanks for listening!
Latest episodes
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Ankur (1974, Shyam Benegal, Hindi/Dakhini)
October 10, 2026 · 1 hr 18 minThis episode unpacks one of the most important Indian films, Ankur (seedling) directed by the late Shyam Benegal. It stars veterans of Hindi, Oriya, and Kannada films: Shabana Azmi, Sadhu Meher, and Anant Nag in pivotal roles. Ankita and…
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Around the World During the Cold War!
September 8, 2026 · 33 minIn this short episode, Ankita unpacks the 1967 Hindi film Around the World starring Raj Kapoor, Rajshree, Mehmood, and Pran. In a reversal to his socialist image, Raj Kapoor plays a millionaire embarking on a world tour but there's a…
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Special Episode: Rang De Basanti (2006), Rakeysh Mehra: 2006 vs 2026
August 2, 2026 · 1 hr 42 minThe student, the educator, the cinephile, and the rebellious Indian combine in this episode to unpack the relevance of the 2006 Hindi film Rang De Basanti. Ankita and Azhar do so via the Cockroach Janta Party led student protests unfolding…
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Haqeeqat (1964), Chetan Anand: Indo-China, Cold War, and Postcolonial Nation Building
July 1, 2026 · 1 hr 26 minAnkita and Azhar unpack one of the finest war films in Bollywood history. Though set in 1962 during the Indo-China war, Haqeeqat (Reality) deals with the trauma of losing Jawahar Lal Nehru and perhaps his vision for a non-aligned India…
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Postcolonial India, Jewish Bollywood, and Lessons for Today: Yahudi (1958), Directed by Bimal Roy
June 1, 2026 · 1 hr 16 minOur latest episode dicusses one of the finest and heavily overlooked Hindi film Yahudi (English: The Jew) from 1958. Starring Dilip Kumar, Meena Kumari, Sohrab Modi, and Nazir Hussain, the film is a testament of postcolonial ethnic…
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The Hubris of Capitalism: Abhimaan (1973). Directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee
May 5, 2026 · 1 hr 21 minHappy Karl Marx Day! In this episode Ankita is joined by Zane Merritt as they unpack the 1973 Hindi film Abhimaan. Dr. Merritt is a freelance musician and academic currently residing in Buffalo New York. He holds a PhD in western…
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The Radical Possibilities of Melodrama: Roti (1974).
April 20, 2026 · 1 hr 9 minIn this episode, we discuss the 1974 blockbuster Hindi film Roti. The film stars Rajesh Khanna, Mumtaz, Pinchoo Kapoor, Sujit, Nirupa Roy, and Om Prakash along with the who's who of 70's Bollywood. We love Roti for its stellar soundtrack…
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Rules of Engagement! Pardesi (1957). Directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and Vasili Pronin
March 16, 2026 · 1 hr 10 minWe bring you the first ever Hindi film jointly produced by India and the Soviet Union–the 1957 film Pardesi (Khozhdenie Za Tri Moray or The Foreigner), starring Oleg Strizhenov, Nargis, Padmini, and Balraj Sahani along with a special…