AT A GLANCE
Kiranmayi Indraganti, PhD
Area of Practice: Filmmaking and Film Research
OVERVIEW
Kiranmayi is interested in film practice, the histories of film and music practitioners and the processes of film and media production. Her areas of academic practice include South Indian cinematic history, playback singing, transnational cinemas and global media industries, and techno-cultural circuits of specific sound technologies. She holds a PhD in Film Studies from the University of Nottingham, UK, and an MFA in Film Production from York University, Toronto, Canada. Her recent work, a feature film entitled “Rallalo Neeru” (Hidden Waters), based on Henrik Ibsen’s “Doll’s House,” has participated in several film festivals and won awards. Her academic work includes articles in academic journals, and among others, a book titled “Her Majestic Voice”(OUP, 2016). She currently heads the PhD Program at SMI, MAHE Bengaluru campus.
EDUCATION
PhD, Film Studies, University of Nottingham, 2011
Master of Fine Arts in Film Production, York University, Toronto
Master of Arts in English Literature, Queen Mary’s College (Autonomous) University of Madras
WORK EXPERIENCE
CURRENTLY:
— Head of PhD Program (since June 2022), Srishti Manipal Institute
— Course Leader in Film Program and Research Faculty (between 2015 and 2022)
— Guide and Doctoral Advisory Committee (DAC) member at MAHE (Manipal Academy of Higher Education) since 2019
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PREVIOUSLY:
–Faculty: August 2011 to March 2013: Ramoji Academy of Film and Television, Hyderabad, — Developing & teaching curriculum/modules on film directing, documentary, and film appreciation.
— Guiding students through documentary and short film projects.
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Seminar Lead, 2008-2010, University of Nottingham, UK
FILM History: – Hollywood and other industries
APPROACHES TO FILM AND TELEVISION
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Resource-support role at the UK’s Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC)-funded training workshop entitled “Using Moving Image Archives in Academic Research” in London and Nottingham, UK, 2007-08
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Seminar Lead, York University (2000-2001) “Film, Television and Society” –Media Culture, Identity and Politics- Douglas Kellner’s work, at York University, Toronto, 2000-2001
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Resource Assistant (with Prof. Seth Feldman) on “The Triumph of the Canadian Cinema,” a series of talks and screenings with film directors such as Normal Jewison, 2000-2001.
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Work Experience at the Toronto International Film Festival 2001.
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Independent freelance filmmaker (Hyderabad) between 1996-1999; 2002-2006; 2013
Leading production, creative and technical teams on various filmmaking tasks and processes, especially small-budgeted projects for quasi-government and non-government organisations, on personal visual narratives and other development-sector related work.
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As a freelance writer contributed to periodicals and journals, 1996-2006
INTEREST AREAS
Film practice, music and literatures (of India and the world); Especially, the histories of film and music practitioners and film production processes; South Indian cinematic history, playback singing; Transnational cinemas and global media industries, techno-cultural circuits of specific sound technologies.
• Use of archives and oral history to understand music, performance, and visual and aural
cultures of India.
• Exploring song materials, music technologies and playback histories
• Understanding multi-lingual song production in India- (composing, writing, verse/drama/
theatre singing etc.)
• Investigating government reports and early popular magazine discourses about film
production practices
• Identifying methodological frameworks to utilize multiple sources of historical value.
• Exploring ‘aural stardom’ in the regional/national contexts of India.
CURRENT PRACTICE AT SRISHTI
Head, PhD Program (since June 2022) and Course Leader in Film Program and Research Faculty (between 2015 and 2022)
TEACHING PORTFOLIO
Currently (for PhD students): ‘Exploring Vocality and Aurality’ for Doctoral Students (Independent Study)
Previously: Term Paper classes for the Undergrad 8th & 7th Semester students
General Studies (Liberal Arts) modules for 2nd & 3rd year UG students
Previously: PG and UG film units encompassing directing, documentary and writing modules
Guiding students through the 7th and 8th semester project immersions and creative productions.
CREATIVE PRACTICE & OUTREACH
FILMMAKING:
• 2024: Two Documentaries- (In process) one, archive-based and the other, on-location, set around Rajahmundry.
• 2021 Directing and writing: feature film titled “Rallalo Neeru” (Hidden Waters), an adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s “Doll’s House.”
. 2021 Won Screenwriting Award at Eastern European Film Festival for debut feature ‘Hidden Waters”
• 2013 Documentary ‘A Season of Love’– on the patterns of migratory birds visiting the Indian east coast and the local communities’ involvement in preserving these patterns. Screened at the Ethnografilm Festival Paris 2014
. 2006 Documentary on the Telugu poet, ‘Ismail’ (Official Selection/ Competition, MIFF 2006)
. 2005, 2003, 2002: Short documentaries for various social organisations (APMSS, Care-India etc)
. 1997: ‘Our Health in Our Hands’ a short documentary on PRA, in Telangana (MIFF 1998- Information Section)
• Music: Working with professional musicians and composers to score music
• 1999- 2006 Help curate film festivals as an advisor
• 2000-2001: Learning screenplay writing with Amnon Buchbinder.
. 2012: Attendee of Robert McKee’s “Story” seminar in India-
PUBLICATIONS:
–Chapter (tentatively titled ‘Voice Beyond the Geographies of Film Land…” in a Routledge Voice/Identity Collection edited by Freya Jarman, Amy Skjerseth and Naomi Andre (scheduled 2024)
–Journal Article (2023): “A vocality is about chords and contexts: The story of C Krishnaveni and songmaking,” Journal of Interdisciplinary Voice Studies, Vol 8, No 1, pp 23-50, 2023.
–Chapter in Book (2021): “City: The Perceptual Field of Inspirations,” Radical City, Sage Yoda Press, 2020-21.
–Under Print (2021 Translation): 20th century reformist-writer Gurazada Apparao’s poetry from Telugu for a monograph in English, (ed) C Mrunalini, Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, 2021.
–Chapter (2017): “Song Taxonomies: Indian Popular Cinema’s Territories of Stardom” in Rethinking Star Studies: Cultures, Themes and Methods edited by Sabrina Qiong Yu and Guy Austin, Edinburgh University Press, April 2017.
–Book (2016): Her Majestic Voice: South Indian Female Playback Singers and Stardom, 1945-55, Oxford University Press, March 2016.
–Translation (2015): Short story in the anthology by SkyBaba (Shaik Yousuf Baba), Vegetarians Only: Stories of Telugu Muslims, Eds. A Suneetha and Uma Bhrugubanda, Orient Blackswan, 2015.
–Translation (2013): Telugu poet Sikhamani’s poems in the anthology ‘Steel Nibs Are Sprouting: New Dalit Writing from South India,’ Eds. K Satyanarayana and Susie Tharu, Harper Collins, 2013.
(used as textbook material at Azim Premji University in one of the undergrad courses).
CONFERENCES/GUEST TALKS:
–“The Singing Voices of Cinema: A Case of South India”- Guest Seminar Talk (2 hours), University of Exeter, UK, May 17th, 2023- (Online); Departments of Film, and Drama, Theatre and Performance, University of Exeter.
–Interaction with audience on the screening of “Rallalo Neeru” (Hidden Waters, 105min, Dir/Writer, 2020) at Hyderabad Literary Festival January 2024; at m.i.l.a.p Literary Festival Bengaluru on MAHE Blr campus. April 8th, 2023; Phoenix Theatre, Leicester, UK 2022.
— “The Cutting-Edge Vocals: Song-making as a New, Edited Artifice,” Vicarious Vocalities 2022 Online Conference, University of Newcastle, September 6th and 7th 2022
— “One Tune, Many Languages: New multi-language Platforms of South Indian cinema” at Forgotten Popular Culture: Asian Cinema and Film History, Online conference, University of Leicester, UK, May 25, 2022.
–“Sound Companions: Playback singers and Narrative Disjunctions,” a paper at the virtual conference of Vicarious Vocalities, Simulated Songs: Lost, Borrowed and Stolen Voices in Popular Culture, Sept 25-26, 2020, University of Portsmouth.
