Curating ~ Women in Early Indian Cinema

Transdisciplinary Research | Curatorial Impulse with Shai Heredia

In this research-driven curatorial project, I explored the archival presence of women in early Indian cinema, uncovering their contributions often overshadowed in a male-dominated industry. As part of Curatorial Impulse with Shai Heredia, my work intersected theory and practice, focusing on the creation of a media archive at Srishti. The project involved digitizing film materials—DVDs, Hi-8 tapes—and curating a selection that redefined how these histories are remembered.

My inquiry centered on the materiality of film and the embodied presence of women on screen, tracing how their performances shaped intimacy between the self, the audience, and the medium. I studied figures like Meena Kumari and Arundhati Devi, whose portrayals of inner conflict and turbulence reflected the emotional depth of Indian womanhood. Simultaneously, I examined Tun-Tun Mausi, whose comedic roles disrupted traditional melodramatic portrayals, shifting the narrative space available to women.

Beyond performance, my research expanded to filmmakers like Nalini Malani and M.F. Husain, analyzing how their transition from painting to filmmaking altered their artistic engagement. This shift in material conditions and media forms informed my broader investigation into how curation, materiality, and intimacy shape both artistic production and reception.

This project was a critical act of reclaiming space for women in cinema—not just preserving their work but repositioning it within a larger discourse on gender, authorship, and cinematic history.