Culture Café
School of Media and Cultural Studies,
Tata Institute of Social Sciences
invites you to
Leisure, Labour and Shahrukh: Is Fun a Form of Resistance?
A Conversation with Shrayana Bhattacharya
Wednesday, 20 April 2021 | 4.00 PM
Tea will be served at 3.30 PM
Venue: Old Conference Hall, Main Campus
About the Event
In her recent book, Shrayana Bhattacharya explores the granularities of women’s well-being and works through the lens of fun and fandom for film star Shahrukh Khan. The results of her longitudinal research highlight how intra-household gender struggles and everyday forms of resistance can be captured through leveraging popular culture as a research device. Inequalities in accessing jobs, media devices, purchasing power, public space and assets manifest in inequalities in accessing cinema halls and film stars. The talk will elaborate on these findings and the approach. It will also discuss the significance of creating a better understanding and framework of how ordinary Indians access leisure time and ‘fun.’
About the Speaker
Shrayana Bhattacharya is a Senior Economist in the World Bank’s Social Protection and Jobs Practice for South Asia. Prior to the World Bank, she worked with SEWA Union, Centre for Policy Research and ILO. She has completed her post-graduation in development economics at Delhi University and Harvard University. Desperately Seeking Shah Rukh: India’s Lonely Young Women and the Search for Intimacy and Independence’ is her first book released in November 2021 by HarperCollins India. The book has recently been awarded the Times of India AutHer Prize for Best Non-Fiction for 2021; the SKOCH India Economic Forum Prize for Best Public Policy Book 2021 and the FICCI Ladies Organization Prize for Achievement in Literature in 2021.
About Culture Cafe
Hosted by the School of Media and Cultural Studies, Culture Cafe is a space for dialogue on issues concerning media, culture, and society. It features film screenings, discussions, performances, and other events that move us to think critically, discuss actively, and enjoy ourselves.