I’m elated to announce that my book on Indian independent filmmaker Amit Dutta, titled Modernism by Other Means, has now been published by Lightcube! The book is a critical study of Dutta’s work, from his earliest diploma films to his recent digital production, as well as his three books. It devotes special attention to formal qualities of the films and attempts to locate them within a broader national and international artmaking context. I’m very hopeful this book will fill an important gap in the literature on experimental cinema in India.
The volume has been published independently and with modest means. Its life will depend entirely on the backing of kind readers and generous patrons. I request anyone interested in supporting this book to share this information in their personal and professional networks. Please buy the book, yes, but more importantly, please review. That will help give the book some crucial momentum. If you represent a publication and would like a review copy of the book, please drop me a message at justanotheremailid@gmail.com.
Description
Since the mid-2000s, Indian experimental filmmaker Amit Dutta has been producing work that defies easy categorization. His sensual, stimulating films are as removed from national mainstream cinema(s) as from the international arthouse tradition. They are, instead, incarnations of a personal quest, a lifelong project of research and self-cultivation. They propose newer forms of cinematographic expression through their constant, ongoing dialogue with ancient Indian artistic thought. Taken together, these films constitute a cinema of aesthetic introspection. Despite universal acclaim, including awards and retrospectives across the world, critical commentary on Dutta’s oeuvre has remained scarce.
Modernism by Other Means is the first book-length consideration of the output of one of the most compelling film practitioners active today. Through close-grained critical analysis of each of his films, it examines how Dutta’s work strives towards an authentic conception of modernism, one that bypasses Eurocentric rites of passage, inviting us to reframe our ideas of what being modern in art means.
Links
Hardcover book (international)
Reviews
“A magnificent work, as complete as it is precise, analyzing in depth each of Amit Dutta’s films, intended to be a reference. Congratulations to Srikanth Srinivasan and his publisher, Lightcube. I would like every contemporary experimental filmmaker to find their Srikanth!”
– Dr. Nicole Brenez, Professor at the Sorbonne Nouvelle
“Srikanth Srinivasan’s book on Amit Dutta is an invaluable foundational text for anyone wanting to explore the rich contours of Indian experimental film and is also an indispensable authorial study that opens up a far reaching interrogation and critical awareness of modernity and its relationship with contemporary filmmaking in India today.“
– Dr. Omar Ahmed, UK-based Film Scholar and Curator
“Amit Dutta might possibly be my favorite filmmaker to have emerged in the 21st century. His mix of playfulness, inquisitiveness, respect for his subjects, his devotion to numerous forms of beauty—all make him a rare and deep talent… I recommend the e-book [of Modernism by Other Means], which is inexpensive, and which is proving to be a really valuable document on a great body of work.”
– Zach Campbell, Independent Scholar
“Modernism by Other Means is structured chronologically, but Srinivasan’s prose flows between influences, memories, and Dutta’s visions of the future of his cinema, invoking Dutta’s style and perspective; he makes the proposition that we are reading about a filmmaker and artist who matters.“
– Soham Gadre, Los Angeles Review of Books
“With rugged clarity and verve, Srinivasan walks us through an extensive portrait of an elastic artist… Modernism by Other Means is nothing short of an essential aid not only in contextualizing Dutta’s films, but in some cases understanding the absolute basics of what each film communicates, the existing register it is working within or developing upon.”
– Maximilien Luc Proctor, photogénie
“Helping the director return to cultural circulation is already a remarkable merit for the book dedicated to his work, but not being involved in the cultural economy gives value to both it and Amit Dutta’s films.”
– Maksim Karpitsky, Cineticle
February 9, 2021 at 4:30 am
A little late to the party here, but I have to commend your first-rate criticism and scholarship in this endlessly insightful work. There has been a considerable dearth of coverage for films that operate beyond the conventions of corporate-marketed cinema, which unfortunately dominates all the critical discourse. Your book was a tonic for an Indian cinephile, and I hope you continue to expand the horizons of Indian non-mainstream filmmaking, especially those like Mani Kaul, Aravindan and Shahani (your director dossiers introduced me to them, and it would be great to see you write more on them).
I was introduced to Dutta through Rosenbaum, my favourite critic, and someone whom I think has a considerable influence on your writing style as well. As an examination of modernity and it’s development in cinema through Dutta’s films, your book opened up new vistas of “Indian” modernism, and I loved your comparisons to both Indian and international art, especially to “modern” primitivists like Miro and Rousseau, both serving as lovely entry points to an uninitiated reader. I consider Nainsukh(2010) to be among the best films of the decade and your probing of the artistic process, familial influence on art, development of nascent modernity and the interconnectedness to other art forms was remarkably insightful. You not only encapsulated some of my thoughts and directed me towards new areas that didn’t strike me, but you also piqued my interest in B.N. Goswamy. I have only seen two other Dutta films, so I will not comment too deeply on this, but it suffices to say that your book made sure that I will rectify the error in the future. Keep writing more books! Indian criticism desperately needs someone who goes far beyond mainstream conventions.
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February 9, 2021 at 4:00 pm
Dear Anand,
Thank you so much for this thoughtful and gracious message of yours. It delights and moves me enormously that you found the book useful, but also that you took the effort to compose this wonderful comment.
Humbled that you mention Rosenbaum, whose work I appreciate more and more with each passing year. I hope too to write more and at length about the filmmakers you mention, especially Aravindan.
Thank you very much once again for your note. I rarely get feedback on this site anymore, so one like this is even more precious. Really makes it all worth it!
Cheers!
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February 15, 2021 at 5:10 am
Sorry for the late response, a little busy week for me. I truly believe every word of the comment, and I think you deserve a lot more coverage for your tireless analysis. Hopefully, you discover and write about more unknown Indian filmmakers! Keep writing!
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February 15, 2021 at 7:46 am
Thank you once again, Anand!
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