Gandhi's Tiger and Sita's Smile: Essays on Gender, Sexuality and Culture

by Ruth Vanita

Essays by a leading scholar. on gender, nation, sexuality. reviews history, cinema, poetry, fiction, links tradition and contemporary issues. also addresses communalism. a provocative collection

Genres: Nonfiction, India

315 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2005

Reviews

[Vampire Who Baked · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of some of the most insightful essays-- runs the gamut of topics, with politics, gender, sexuality, media, mythology, culture, and Bollywood featuring prominently. A few of the pieces are a tad academic, but on the whole it's a great read for lay audiences, both accessible and of interest, and quite a few surprising facts scattered throughout (the Rafi track "Chahunga Main Tujhe" was directed towards a male character, for example).
Very highly recommended!

[Celeste · Rating 5 out of 5]

Argues for a more complex understanding of gender and sexuality in Indian culture.