Games form an integral part of every society, and they especially cannot be ignored in the context of colonial rule, as well as of nation-building. Transcultural games in fact illustrate this particularly well. Having been almost universally lauded for having spread the concept of 'fair play' and 'sportsmanship' to all areas comprising the British Empire, what exactly was the contribution of British rule in India with regard to the kind of games considered to be 'worthwhile'? What kind of examples of 'fair play' did the rulers set? To what extent did Indians seek to emulate their rulers? Which games did the Indian nation, once free of direct British rule, set up as embodying national ideals, and to what extent was India successful? We will be looking for answers to these and other questions by taking a close look at films made in India on the topic of games and how they are played.
Please note that a conference on Games (April 21st-23rd) is scheduled for the first week of the teaching term; participants of this HS are expected to attend at least one of the sessions as preparation for the seminar.
FILMS: Any film text not otherwise available will be placed in the online seminar materials:
A Game of Chess
Lagaan
Chak De India |
