Such a Long Journey: Portrayal of the Parsi Community in Films

Abstract

The early Indian film industry was dominated by Parsis (followers of the Zoroastrian faith), as has been widely noted by scholars, for instance by Rajadhyaksha and Willemen [(1999)2008: 171] and Dwyer [2006]. The most notable founding fathers of the Indian film industry were Ardesh Irani, Sohrab Modi and the Wadia brothers. Among noted Parsi actors were David in the past, and Boman Irani in current Hindi films. Similarly the popular singer Alisha Chenai and the choreographer Shiamak Davar are also of this community. However, despite their acknowledged roles “behind-the-screen,” their portrayal “on-the-screen” is rarely discussed. To fill this gap, I am surveying in this article films in which Parsis take leading or supporting roles.

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Pankaj Jain

PANKAJ JAIN is the author of Sustenance and Sustainability: Dharma and Ecology of Hindu Communities [2011] and has published in Religious Studies Review, Worldviews, Religion Compass, Journal of Vaishnava Studies, Union Seminary Quarterly Review and Visual Anthropology. His research interests include Hinduism, Jainism, environmental ethics, Indian films, Indo-Aryan languages and literatures. He has taught at North Carolina State University, Rutgers, Kean and New Jersey City Universities. He is now exploring connections between religious traditions and sustainability in Hindu and Jain communities in North Texas. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Iowa and an M.A. from Columbia University, both in Religious Studies.