Refocus: The Films of Zoya Akhtar - (Refocus: The International Directors) by Aakshi Magazine & Amber Shields (Paperback)

About the Book

Examines the work of Hindi film director, screenwriter and producer Zoya Akhtar

Book Synopsis

From her relatively small-scale feature debut Luck By Chance (2009) to her recent premieres of Gully Boy (2019) and Made in Heaven (2019) to local and global audiences via the Berlin Film Festival and Amazon Prime Streaming services, Zoya Akhtar has become a prominent figure representing change in Bollywood. As the first collection on Akhtar, this book examines how she is contributing to a shift in one of the world's leading film industries, and through analysis of her work explores the contradictions and possibilities of the present moment in Bollywood.

From the Back Cover

The first in-depth look at the work of Indian cinema director, screenwriter, and producer Zoya Akhtar, this book celebrates Akhtar's art while examining her position within popular film and how she is contributing to a shift in one of the world's leading film industries. Through Akhtar's work, it also explores larger trends in the Mumbai-based Hindi film industry -- Bollywood -- ranging from the changing form and distribution of mainstream films to gender politics. It highlights how Akhtar's unique position exemplifies the contradictions and possibilities of the present moment in Bollywood; it also explores the impact of female filmmakers in global industries Edited by Aakshi Magazine is a writer and academic based in India. She received her PhD in Film Studies from the University of St Andrews in 2020. Her doctoral thesis, The 1950s Hindi film song: Between transgression and memory, is on the relationship of the film song to the contradictions of the Indian nationalist discourse. She has published several journal articles, a book chapter and film criticism in popular publications. Amber Shields received her PhD in Film Studies from the University of St Andrews where she focused on how fantasy is used to tell stories of individual and collective trauma in films from around the world. She has taught Film and English courses at Mount Tamalpais College and currently works with nonprofits reimagining education and supporting the development of young leaders. She has published several journals articles and book chapters.

Review Quotes

Timely and engaging, ReFocus: The Films of Zoya Akhtar brings together a collection of essays that engage with Akhtar's protean oeuvre, ranging from her star-driven Bollywood extravaganzas to her recent forays into more textured storytelling. These essays address Akhtar's complex understanding of classed, gendered, and sexual subjectivities in India to her investments in the industry as a screenwriter and producer. What emerges through this anthology is not simply the portrait of a keenly observant artist/entrepreneur, but a snapshot of an industry undergoing enormous transformations.--Meheli Sen, Rutgers University

Zoya Akhtar is a cultural force in popular Hindi cinema. Whether it is a critical look at the industry itself, affluent relationships and lifestyles in urban India, to the lived complexities of gully life, her cinema is on point. This fine collection of essays charts the career graph of Akhtar while offering us rich and layered readings of her key films. Including an interview with Zoya herself, we get more than academic perspectives but a lively and engaging project on modern cinema.--Rajinder Dudrah, Birmingham City University

About the Author

Aakshi Magazine is a writer and academic based in India. She received her PhD in Film Studies from the University of St Andrews in 2020. Her doctoral thesis, The 1950s Hindi film song: Between transgression and memory, is on the relationship of the film song to the contradictions of the Indian nationalist discourse. She has published several journal articles, a book chapter and film criticism in popular publications.

Amber Shields received her PhD in Film Studies from the University of St Andrews where she focused on how fantasy is used to tell stories of individual and collective trauma in films from around the world. She has taught Film and English courses at Mount Tamalpais College and currently works with nonprofits reimagining education and supporting the development of young leaders. She has published several journals articles and book chapters.