New book offers fresh insights into Tripuri cinema, a marginalized film culture in India

TRIPURA, India - Feb. 19, 2023 - PRLog -- Author and filmmaker Aloy Deb Barma has released a new book titled "Cinema as Art and Popular Culture in Tripura: An Introduction," which provides a fresh perspective on the contemporary film cultures in Tripura, a northeastern state in India. The book explores the production and mass-circulation of locally produced films among socially marginalized areas, regionally or linguistically defined audiences in Tripura. Deb Barma's book raises critical questions surrounding community, culture, economy, language, and issues of representation in Tripuri cinema compared to other contemporary regional or peripheral cinemas.

The book is motivated by the need to draw a formal account of a vibrant film culture that has remained undiscovered in the shadows of the canonical mainstream cinema. Deb Barma examines the infrastructure and industrial practices that structure the recent emergence of these cinemas as emulations of mainstream Hindi cinema. Deb Barma also explores how the producers of films and music videos interpret and shape ideas about "regionality" and how this can contribute to a reformulation of existing perceptions of ethnicity and culture while also creating new ones.

Deb Barma's book not only addresses the critical questions surrounding community, culture, economy, language, and issues of representation in Tripuri cinema but also offers a new understanding of cinema in India and the concept of regional cinema. In a world that is increasingly interconnected and globalized, states have become the point of convergence for cultural and economic systems, promoting increased interaction, integration, and interdependence among states and nations. The book is a valuable contribution to the field of film studies, providing a comprehensive account of the emergence and evolution of Tripuri cinema while critically examining the infrastructure and industrial practices that structure it.

Cinema as Art and Popular Culture in Tripura: An Introduction is an essential read for anyone interested in the study of cinema, film cultures, and regional cinema, as it challenges existing notions of cinema and its relationship to place, culture, and community. It is a significant contribution to the field of film studies and will undoubtedly spark further discussions and research in the future.