The Influence of Hindustani classical music on Indian cinema : a rasa-raga tala approach

Abstract

This thesis seeks to identify and appreciate the lasting influence of two pioneering notions from the Indian sub-continent’s cultural memory and history – rasa theory and Hindustani classical music – on Indian cinema’s music making traditions. Rasa theory is an important contribution from the ancient Indian Sanskrit drama compendium, the Nāṭyaśāstra, whose rudimentary precepts have provided a template for the workings of nearly all major fine art forms in the sub-continent. North Indian or Hindustani classical music is known to be rasacentred, as, without emotional expression, its effectiveness is negligible and creates no counter-emotional responses in the audience. Both rasa and Hindustani classical music have informed Indian cinema such that a majority of film songs are based on some rāga and tāla, and each song or piece of background music score corresponds to a particular emotion. The thesis argues that in an Indian talkie film there is little or no rasa manifestation without the rāga-tāla or melodic/rhythmic intervention. The thesis is divided into two parts. Part 1 provides the essential background, history and theory to ancient Indian aesthetics, the system of North Indian classical music and Indian cinema. Part 2 leads to further detailed analyses and case studies based on selected works of music directors, including Madan Mohan, Roshan, Naushad and Rahul Dev Burman. This part also examines in detail two rasa-centred films: Jalsaghar (1958) by Satyajit Ray and Devdas (2002) by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. While there is academic research that views Indian cinema more generally through the lens of rasa, there is no evidence of scholarly work which specifically explores the influence of rasa-rāgatāla on Indian cinema. This thesis addresses that gap and fills it with relevant analyses. The thesis not only demonstrates how to appreciate Indian cinema and associated expressive acting, diegetic and non-diegetic musical compositions, dances and melodramatic narratives using the rasa theory and Hindustani classical music; it also analyses in detail, what lies behind the formation of various situational film songs: particular rāgas and tālas implemented, specific melodic and rhythmic combinations used. It also scrutinises the impact on spectators with respect to manifestation of rasa-bhāva experiences, where rasa, the essence, signifies a fundamental mental state, and bhāva, the state of mind, is understood to be feeling, emotion or mood. 2 My conclusions argue that while western models of film criticism have been in favour of realism, this is not relevant here because the generic codes and conventions of Bollywood are non-realist. Instead of a bias towards a predominantly rational and realism-oriented medium of film criticism, a rasa-rāga-tāla-based analysis draws the focus of critical attention back to emotion-infused music and its various possible methods of expressive enunciation. Simultaneously rasa theory’s capacity for understanding the art of abhinaya (acting) in conjunction with Hindustani classical music in the context of the culture – of its makers, various characters, and their performances – proves to be an invaluable asset for analysing and re-thinking apparently stereotypical, stylised performances of Hindi cinema. Overall, this research work covers relevant aspects of Hindustani classical music, Hindi film/music studies, the ancient rasa theory, Sanskrit studies, Indian philosophy, anthropology and culture, thus making it a cross-disciplinary venture.