Recontextualizing the Cinematic Code: The “Female Gaze” of Sai Paranjpye in Sparsh, Chashme Buddoor, and Katha

Abstract A central concern of the article is to examine how the female gaze is evident in the films of Indian film director Sai Paranjpye. More specifically, this research article analyses the ways, how female gaze asserts itself by playing with established cinematic codes while keeping the political and social condition of the time in the foreground. In this article, the focus is on examining the reflexive disposition of Sai by recontextualizing the conversant tropes popularized in Hindi films. This article also explores the ways in which a film itself participates in defining the “gaze” or, in other words, in questioning the cultural training of viewing. For the article, three films, Sparsh, Chashme Buddoor, and Katha, are taken as case studies. Using these three films as examples, the article explores how narrative techniques can be used to challenge established cinematic codes while making the female gaze distinguishable. The examples discussed are chosen in such a way that, on the one hand, they occupy cases of a broad continuum of cinematic narration specific to Bollywood, and on the other, they introduce a semiotic approach.