Author: Ayesha Mahboob
Abstract
This paper considers the essential characteristics of item numbers produced from 1940-1947 under the concept of darshan. This concept, described as the worshippers’ relationship of ‘seeing and being seen,’ is a way of engaging the whole body through the eye (Pinney 8), creating a sense of intimacy between the image and its beholder. By analyzing songs from films released during 1940-1947 in Lahore and Bombay, this study looks at the features of an item number and draws a comparison with other film songs and song sequences released during that period. This paper also considers the role of sound and Parsi theatre. Item numbers have played a role in connecting films and viewers since the origin of sound film in the cinemas of South Asia. Furthermore, films in this region were also under the influence of the cultural practices of Parsi theatre, which provided a model for the popular theatre movement in Bombay.
Keywords
Item Numbers; Darshan; Parsi Theatre; Early Pakistani Cinema; Indian Cinema; Scopophilia; Male Gaze
