The Hubris of Capitalism: Abhimaan (1973). Directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee

Happy Karl Marx Day! In this episode Ankita is joined by Zane Merritt as they unpack the 1973 Hindi film Abhimaan. Dr. Merritt is a freelance musician and academic currently residing in Buffalo New York. He holds a PhD in western classical music composition from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a Masters' degree in classical guitar performance from Butler University. He has performed his own music and those of his colleagues internationally, performing solo concerts in Toronto, New York City, and Nagoya, Japan as well as appearing as a featured soloist with the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra and the Slee Sinfonietta. As an academic, he has taught courses on composition, music theory, and vernacular music such as The Beatles and Heavy Metal. He is currently the instructor of record for "Bollywood and South Asian Cinema" at the University at Buffalo. Abhimaan stars Amitabh and Jaya Bachhan along with the phenomenal Bindu and Asrani in pivotal roles. Ankita sees this film as a befitting response to western capitalist imperialism heightening during the cold war. Whether Mukherjee intended it or not, the film is a staunch critique of hyper individualism that capitalism promotes. Hope you enjoy this episode! Write to us at [email protected] As always, subscribe to the podcast, and don't forget to leave us a review!