Ganga Rudraiah

In her 5th year at the Cinema Studies Institute at the University of Toronto, Ganga Rudraiah’s SSHRC-funded dissertation is an intervention into the field of Indian film studies: a new reading of masala film form, particularly of the South Indian variety, in order to understand the value of song and dance for cinema’s thinking on love and desire. With emphasis on Tamil and Telugu film aesthetics, the project aims to return to the basic unit of cinema, i.e., movement, and present a theory of cinematic withdrawal. Outside this project, her research work broadly covers visual cultures of South India and extends under the areas of mainstream erotica, cinedance, experimental video, and reality television. Originally from Tamil Nadu, Ganga holds a BSc in Psychology and Master’s in Social Work from the University of Madras. She also received an MA in Film Studies at Western University.

Awards:
2020-2022 – SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship

Education
MA, Western University
MSW, University of Madras
BSc, University of Madras