The Muslim social is a film genre in Hindi cinema that focuses on the depiction of Islamic culture and traditions in India. It flourished in the 1950s and 1960s and lasted till the early 1980s. These films are characterised by the use of ghazals, qawwalis, Urdu poetry, and other musical forms associated with Islamic cultural heritage.[1]
The genre is broadly categorised into two types: "classic Muslim socials," which explore nawabi culture and the lives of upper-class or elite Muslim families, and "new wave Muslim socials," which highlight the experiences of middle-class Muslim families, addressing themes such as economic challenges, social discrimination, and communal violence.[2] The term "Muslim social" has been a subject of criticism for its potential to marginalise and compartmentalise films centered on Islamic culture. Filmmaker M. S. Sathyu, director of Garm Hava (1973), questioned the use of such labels, noting the absence of equivalent terms like "Hindu social" or "Christian social" in cinema.[3]
- ^ Babb, Lawrence A.; Susan S. Wadley (1998). Media and the Transformation of Religion in South Asia. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 151. ISBN 81-208-1453-3. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
- ^ Allen, Richard; Ira Bhaskar (2009). Islamicate Cultures of Bombay Cinema. Tulika Books. pp. 91–92. ISBN 978-81-89487-53-9.
- ^ "Back with the wind". The Hindu. 14 November 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2014.