Bhakti Republic With Amit Basole — From Bollywood To Benaras And Beyond
The ideas of liberty, equality, fraternity and justice — the very values enshrined in our Constitution — have endured over centuries in the Bhakti tradition. The Bhakti poets always challenged the ideologies of their times that attempted to force the belief that people were not equal. In this show, Bhakti Republic, we explore the histories of these ideas in Bhakti poetry, and how they find resonance in the values underpinning the Constitution of a modern republic.
Over the centuries, poets have reminded us of the values we are in danger of forgetting as a society. The ideas of liberty, equality, fraternity and justice — the very values enshrined in our Constitution — have endured over centuries in the Bhakti tradition. The Bhakti poets always challenged the ideologies of their times that attempted to force the belief that people were not equal.
In this show, we explore the histories of these ideas in Bhakti poetry, and how they find resonance in the values underpinning the Constitution of a modern republic.
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We take you on a listening experience to Pandharpur with the songs of Namdev and Tukaram, to Benares with the poetry of Kabir and Ravidas, to Rajasthan in the rapture of Meera’s devotion, and to northern Karnataka where sharanas sing the vachanas. But first, we visit post-Independence Bombay where the expression of these ideas find an avenue in the film music of the times.
In twentieth century Bombay, the film industry has created a new public sphere for expression by artists, lyricists and songwriters, who speak to a pan-India audience through the immense reach of this new medium. The pre-Independence Progressive Writers Association and its successors, the Indian People’s Theatre Association, endeavour to create a new public consciousness. The lyrics of Sahir Ludhianvi, Majrooh Sultanpuri and Shailendra thrum with a yearning to remind people of their rights and duties.
Bhakti Republic is hosted by Amit Basole, faculty in Economics at Azim Premji University, where he also heads the Centre for Sustainable Employment. Basole has also hosted Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota? The World of Ghalib for Radio Azim Premji University.
Listen to Kayakave Kailasa — the soundtrack for Bhakti Republic Ep 3
Explore the series
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Listen to Bhakti Republic with Amit Basole
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Saara Jahan Hamara — In 1950’s Bombay
We begin our journey in the film studios of 1950’s Bombay (then not yet known as Bollywood) where lyricists like Sahir Ludhianvi, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Shailendra, and others are using the power of their poetry to awaken people to the spirit of Constitutional Values
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Bombay Talkies — Cinema and Social Change
By the 20th century, cinema halls had mushroomed all over the city of Bombay and the industry attracted actors, dancers, singers, and songwriters. Songs were an inseparable part of these films, piggybacking on the tradition of Gujarati and Marathi theatre. The stage was set for a new breed of poets to write their way into history.
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Kathauti Mein Ganga — In Benaras with Kabir and Ravidas
Join Amit Basole for the second episode of this series, in which we explore how the histories of the values enshrined in our Constitution find resonance in the poetry of the Bhakti tradition
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The Body As Temple — The Vachanas Of The Sharanas
In the third episode of Bhakti Republic with Amit Basole, we journey to 12th century Karnataka, where the Sharanas, ardent devotees of Shiva, spread their message through vachanas, verses composed and sung in simple Kannada, which are infused with profound thought
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When Varkaris March To Pandharpur
In the fourth episode of our series Bhakti Republic, Amit Basole continues his exploration of constitutional values in the poetry of the Varkaris through anecdotes and readings, against a background of original music performances
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On the banks of the Yamuna — the saga of Krishna Bhakti
Jamuna Kinare, the series finale of Bhakti Republic, explores the historical, cultural, and spiritual landscapes of Krishna Bhakti in North India and Bengal, where this devotional movement has thrived for centuries. Joining host Amit Basole is historian and scholar Varuni Bhatia, faculty in history at Azim Premji University.
Featured in this series
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Amit Basole
Amit Basole is Professor of Economics and from 2018 to 2023 he was the lead author of the State of Working India report. Amit has taught at Bucknell University and the University of Massachusetts, Boston. He has a PhD in Economics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst as well as a PhD in Neuroscience from…
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Varuni Bhatia
Varuni Bhatia is the Director of the School of Arts & Sciences.Varuni teaches History at Azim Premji University, Bengaluru. Her research area is religion and modernity in colonial and contemporary India. Bhatia’s books and articles explore transformations of Hindu traditions, new cultural and media practices of religion, and religion at the intersection of nationalism and…
