Rediscovering the '80s: India's Analog Video Revolution

Ishita Tiwary's new book, 'Video Culture in India,' explores India's analog video era, reconstructing the 1980s through oral histories and archival resources. Published by Oxford University Press, the book delves into the socio-political impact and cultural innovation of video technology in post-1980s India.

Ishita Tiwary's latest book, 'Video Culture in India,' meticulously explores India's diverse media history of the analog video era, focusing specifically on the 1980s. Published by Oxford University Press, the book reconstructs the 'video decade' through interdisciplinary approaches, including oral histories, archival resources, and discarded tapes.

In her work, Tiwary provides an in-depth narrative of video technology in post-1980s India, contextualizing it within the socio-political landscape. She aims to fill gaps in existing literature by offering a comprehensive understanding that also connects with global media history.

According to Tiwary, the book is a result of 10 years of dedicated research. Initially hesitant due to the era's reputation for bad movies and pirated content, she became fascinated by video's innovative uses for creating wedding videos, erotic thrillers, socio-religious promotions, and resistance documentaries. 'Video Culture in India' addresses the popularity of marriage videos, video-news magazines, and religious films, aiming to show how media history intertwines with political and socio-cultural contexts. Priced at Rs 1395, the book is available both online and offline.

(With inputs from agencies.)