POWERFUL AND POWERLESS: POWER RELATIONS IN SATYAJIT RAY'S FILMS

Abstract

Scholars have discussed Indian film director, Satyajit Ray's films in a myriad of ways. However, there is paucity of literature that examines Ray's two films, Goopy Gayen Bagha Bayen (Adventures of Goopy and Bagha 1968) and its sequel Hirak Rajar Deshe (The Diamond King 1980). Even when discussed by Indian or western scholars, these two films have been considered as children's film or fantasy films with very little discourse on the social or political elements. In both these films, the economically and socially disadvantaged groups are depicted as particularly vulnerable to cultural, political and economic imperialism, violence, exploitation and powerlessness. This thesis demonstrates the relationship between the powerful and the powerless. The films are examined within the framework of Foucault's conception of power. Different roles and interpretations of power relationships between humans through kingship, class, caste, religion, gender, technology and knowledge are analyzed in the thesis in order to investigate the historical, social, and political background that inspired Ray to make these films.