This talk explores the concept of Bahujan Spectatorship, focusing on how marginalized communities in India engage with media, cinema, and digital platforms. It examines how mainstream narratives often exclude or misrepresent Bahujan voices while analyzing the ways in which audiences interpret, critique, and reshape cultural content. By highlighting emerging alternative media spaces, independent storytelling, and the growing demand for authentic representation, this talk delves into the role of spectatorship in challenging caste hierarchies, reclaiming agency, and fostering social change. Jyoti Nisha is a filmmaker, producer, academician, and writer, renowned for pioneering the groundbreaking theory of Bahujan Spectatorship, which delves into the consumption and spectatorship of popular cinema, dissecting its representation of caste, gender and sexuality by India’s marginalized population. Her work centers on creating a distinctive oppositional sociopolitical Bahujan aesthetics deeply rooted in Bahujan lived experiences, culture, history, movements, and ideology, championed by Bahujan filmmakers. She received her education in journalism from IIMC, Delhi, screenwriting from FTII, Pune & and Media and Cultural Studies from TISS, Mumbai. Nisha’s journey includes serving as a Director’s Assistant to Neeraj Ghaywan’s film, Geeli Pucchi. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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