Romancing the Reds: early encounters with Soviet cinema in India

ABSTRACT Censorship records show an apparent absence of Soviet films in Indian cinemas during the late years of British colonialism (1920s–40s). Apart from a few ‘apolitical’ feature films, Indian audiences hardly got any chance to watch important works of Soviet cinema until the late 1940s. Contrastingly, a number of writings that appeared in film journals from the 1930s–40s provide evidence for a growing interest in Soviet cinema among Indian film enthusiasts. This cluster of writings virtually hides the fact that Soviet masterpieces were yet to reach the Indian viewers. Many Indian films from the same period also offer instances of Soviet influence revealed through political symbolism, visual styles and techniques. Exploring various layers of archival and filmic materials, the article traces the routes through which the Soviet influence provided motivations to filmmakers and enthusiasts about the new explorations in Soviet cinema in the absence of the actual films on Indian screens.