PowerPoint Presentation

Qr code Description automatically generated.

75 th Anniversary of Indian Independence/Partition.

Partition Carved up the Indian subcontinent, making India for Hindus, Pakistan for Muslims Millions of people were forced to leave their ancestral homes to conform to these new national arrangements (i.e., Hindus in what is now Pakistan migrated to India and vice-versa Later the nation of Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan) after a war..

Map Description automatically generated.

Map Description automatically generated.

Map Description automatically generated.

Things to consider when ada pting a book to film: Novel Film Prose narrative Narration limited to verbal voice-over Written dialogue Visual and aural dialogue English English + other South Asian languages (subtitles) Silence Music, voice, screams Description of attire Costumes Narrated setting Visual landscapes and setting, lighting Imagined characters casting of characters/actors Development of characters Dev of characters through facial expressions, via prose narrative tone of voice, music, movement, speech, and the filmic elements—close-ups, camera angles, lighting Dev of story in print use of film to develop story; editing of text written by one author film is directed by one person, but assembled by a team of actors, editors, cinematographers, sound editors, costume designers, and others.

Questions to consider: Which scenes were selected from the book for inclusion in the film? The dinner scene Papoo’s wedding scene Mother, father, Lenny driving through city—mob overtakes them Which book scenes are left out of the film? Is Earth a “faithful” adaptation of Cracking India ? Should Sidhwa have any say over the film adaptation of her novel? What is the significance of including other languages besides English in the film? What does the inclusion of subtitles do for the film?.

First Scene Begins with Lenny’s narration Camera circles around Lenny to show that she is sitting at a desk coloring a map of India Lenny gets up from her desk, adjusts her leg brace and walks (with a limp) into the next room to see her mother The home has red drapes and is shown to be a middle-class home (vase of cut flowers, crystal setting on the table); Lenny picks up one of the pieces of china from the table and intentionally drops it, bringing Ayah rushing into the room to scold her and pick up the pieces; Imam Din steps in from outside, Yousaf then comes in, then Mother arrives, Lenny asks her mother, “Can one break a country?” and reveals that Ayah told her this. Mother tells Ayah/Shanta this is “rubbish” (but notice the look on her face and the anxiety of Ayah’s rushed voice) Scene ends. Next Scene: Hari cuts flowers in the garden. Scene focuses on the servants—eating in the kitchen. Scene cuts to Ayah and Adi under the table, whispering and pointing to the feet. The camera pans to above the table and dinner talk.. Camera pans around the table from Lenny’s mother, to Mr. Singh, to the English man Mr Rodgers, Lenny’s father, who is telling a joke, to the entire table of people. Mr Rodgers—tone of voice is condescending; Mr Singh responds to him in Urdu (?) Notice Lenny’s face when she sees them attack each other (she smiles).

Now, let’s watch the film!.