In the 19th century, Hindustani music established itself in Mumbai as musicians flocked to the city to be under the patronage of its wealthy citizens. A passion for music, bordering on madness even, gripped the city then, and continues even today. The people mad about music, the “deewaane,” expressed their love for music and musicians in multiple ways. At our Online Talk #DeewaneMastane, cultural theorist and author Tejaswini Niranjana tells us how madness and love came together in the metropolis of Mumbai, marking a condition of subjective excess, and ensuring the popularity of Hindustani music through the long twentieth century.

About the speaker:

Tejaswini Niranjana is a prominent Indian cultural theorist, translator, academic and author known for her influential work in cultural studies, gender studies, translation theory and ethnomusicology. With a rich academic background including a PhD from UCLA, she has held key academic positions in India and abroad, including at Ahmedabad University and Lingnan University, Hong Kong. Her groundbreaking translation of Jayant Kaikini’s No Presents Please won both the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature and the ALTA Prize. Niranjana's work often explores the intersections of colonialism, language, music and feminism and she has produced notable documentaries such as Jahaji Music and Phir Se Sam Pe Aana. A recipient of several prestigious fellowships and awards, including the Central and Karnataka Sahitya Akademi Awards, she continues to shape discourse on bilingual education, cultural politics and diasporic music traditions.