Dr Lipika Pelham’s research explores the history of Baghdadi Jewish communities in India, examining an intriguing chapter in this diaspora story. As part of her ongoing project, “From Babylon to Kolkata: Jews of the Near East United by Exile,” this lecture will shed light on the foundational role of Jewish women actors from Kolkata and Mumbai in early twentieth century Indian cinema. They were Middle Eastern Jewish women playing taboo breaking ‘Indian’ characters, ranging from chain-smoking vamps to femme fatales, as well as producers, releasing blockbuster films through their own successful production houses.
Pelham demonstrates how these Jewish performing artists navigated between multiple identities in India, maintaining their Judeo-Arabic heritage while engaging with mainstream culture, emerging as some of the highest paid actors in the burgeoning Indian film industry. Pramila, Sulochana, Rose, Romila and Nadira – to name a few – fought social prejudices against women as actors, and overcame language barriers, as the industry shifted from silent films to ‘talkies’ in the 1930s. These women became household names and would continue to flourish in what we know today as Bollywood. From silent to talkies to technicolour, they represented the model of the modern Indian woman, delivering a progressive social message that would create stigma-free opportunities for women in cinema.
Pelham’s interdisciplinary approach, combining her scholarly expertise on Jewish diasporic communities with her previous role as a BBC Middle East editor and award-winning documentary filmmaker, offers unique insights into what launched these women’s extraordinary careers. This lecture will present a comprehensive history of Baghdadi Jewish settlement in India from the mid eighteenth century. A documentary film will be presented alongside, showcasing the roles of early twentieth century Jewish actresses as they manoeuvred between gender, Judaism and Indian modernity.
