Sita Sings the Blues - "American" take on Ramayana

Attended a lecture today at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) that was part of a course taught by Drs. Robert and Sally Goldman of UC Berkeley's South Asian Studies Department.  They are here in Delhi working on their epic one-of-a-kind translation of the epic narrative The Ramayana composed by the poet Valmiki, which is an integral part of India's (and many other cultures') heritage. 

Today's course was framed from last week's (which I did not attend) where Sally focused on ideas of appropriation.  This carries a negative connotation for me as in 'cultural appropriation' of that which we perceive as exotic or different, holding some level of fantasy for us, be it savage, spiritually fulfilling, aggressive, or transgressive of our own cultural boundaries.  We identify this thing, e.g. Buddhist prayer beads, and we develop our own way of relating to it in the context of our own culture.  Appropriation means taking something which is not yours and owning or authoring meaning and significance to that thing outside of its original cultural context. 

We started watching Sita Sings the Blues under this premise - The Ramayana is an epic that 'belongs' to India (i actually don't know enough about the history yet to say this - I know it has traveled to many places and been retold in the contexts of many cultures, and today there was some reference to it being part of an extensive folk tradition in many countries as well).  Nina Paley used the story of Ramayana as a way to work through some bad things that happened in her own life.  She took this epic story, the basis of understanding of cultural structures for India, and looked at it not only through her US American lens, but the lens of a first time viewer of the epic.  We discussed many aspects of this after viewing including Nina's motive and her ability to capture what our audience thought were the true meanings/themes of the stories. 

What did I see while we watched?

What were the reactions to the viewing? (who made up the audience)

What did Sally and Bob want to talk about? (globalization and relevance of epic stories)

How is this relevant to my work as a cross cultural bridge for Americans in India?  I did speak up at the end - actually, I was put on the spot as one of the only two foreigners in the room other than the lecturers, and a US American as well.  People were interested in how someone would react to seeing this version as the first version of the Ramayana in their lives.  What an interesting question, especially in light of working with young US Americans who decide they would like to spend three or four months in India with the organization I work for.  I have often searched for accessible ways to introduce my students to Culture in a sensitive, non-overassuming way - a way in which I feel opens an ethical dialogue and creates understanding, relation, and curiosity about the experience the students might have.