BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE, PILANI (RAJASTHAN)

INSTRUCTION DIVISION
First SEMESTER 2013-2014
Course Handout (Part II)
Date: 12/1/2015
In addition to part-I (General handout for all courses appended to the time table) this portion
gives further specific details regarding the course.
Course Number

HSS C316/ HSS F316

Course Title
Instructor In-Charge

Popular Literature and Culture of South Asia

MAYA VINAI

Course Description
South Asia as a region; culture and its representation through literature and cinema; politics of
representation, breaking the stereotypes; bringing in the marginalized voices; writings of women;
identity formation; concept of majority and minority; commonality in spite of all the differences,
violence, migration and dislocation.
1 Scope and Objective of the Course: The objective of the course is to introduce students
to Literature and Popular Culture of South Asia. In doing so, it will familiarize students to
perspectives and scenarios that differ from their own culture, thereby, helping them to have
deeper understanding of other cultures. This course aims to bridge the gaps in our understanding
of our neighbors and enable us to have broader perspectives
2 Text Book: We will pick and choose from the following texts.
1.From Pakistan: Mohsin Hamids The Reluctant Fundamentalist Or
Bapsi Sidhwas Breaking it up in Their Language of Love.
2.From India: Lavanya Sankarans The Hope Factory
& excerpts from works of Sadhu Benning
3 From Afghanistan: Khalid Hosseini: And the Mountains Echoed
4 From Sri Lanka: Suvimalee Karunaratna : Four Short Stories of Sri
Lanka (any one )
(http://naosite.lb.nagasakiu.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/10069/28467/1/keieike
izai71_01_08.pdf)
5 From Bangladesh: Selected short stories/essays by Tahmima Anam.

Films: We will pick and choose from the following films.

Desi/Videshi Diasporic Filmakers: Indian Values and the Indian
Diaspora as Reflected in Cinema. (India)/ Representation of
Religion: PK
Disability and Discrimination in Dhoom 3 (India)
The Kite Runner (Afghanistan)
Ira Madiamma (Srilanka)

6 Course Plan
Lectur
Topics to be
Learning Objectives
e No.
covered
1
Introduction to South Asia and
Introduction to
Basic Literary Concepts concerning South Asian
literature and Films
society and
culture
2-4
Characteristic Features of South An Overview of
Asian Culture, Society and
Contemporary
Literature
Literature
5-10
Afghanistan
Understanding
Afghanistan
through pop lit
and films
11-12 Library Visit: How to write a
Understanding
research paper
research and
incorporation of
sources
13-17 Pakistan
Understanding
Pakistan through
pop literature
18-22

Bangladesh

23-27

Diaspora in Films

Reference to
Chap/Sec/Book
Reading Material

Reading Material
And the mountains Echoed

Library Work

Bapsi Sidhwas Breaking it

up in Their Language of
Love or Mohsin Hamids
The Reluctant
Fundamentalist
Selected short
stories/essays by Tahmima
Anam.

Understanding
Bangladesh
through pop
literature.
Understanding Will be selected in class
Diaspora and the
politics of
representation.

Lectur
Learning Objectives
e No.
28-31 Sri Lanka

Topics to be
Reference to
covered
Chap/Sec/Book
Understanding Suvimalee Karunaratna :
Srilanka through Selected Short Story.
pop literature

32-37

India

38-41

Films

Understanding The Hope Factory

India through
pop literature and
film
& Narrating the Poems by Sadhu Benning
nation
Understanding
diaspora and
their alienation,
culture of
different South
Asian countries
through films

42-43

Summing up

7 Evaluation Scheme
Component

Duration

Test 1

60 minutes

Class Assignments
(Surprize
Tests/Reports/ Oral
Presentation)

Marks
allotted
40

Date & Time

Remarks
CB

40
-

Test 2

60 mins

40

Comprehensive

3 hours

80

-to be announced-

OB

CB

8 Chamber Consultation Hour To be announced in the class

CB

Notice: Notices concerning this course will be displayed on the Humanities and Languages
Group Notice Board only.

10 Plagiarism will be highly penalized.

8. Make-up Policy

Make up will be granted only in genuine cases.

Dr. Maya Vinai
Instructor In-charge