Contents: 1. Mapping the 'secular'. 2. In the name of the secular: i. Variables of secularism. ii. The Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA). iii. The Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust (SAHMAT). iv. The third sector movement in Brazil. v. The making of secular culture. 3. On the border of fascism: the manufacture of consent in Roja. 4. Dismantling men: the crisis of male identity in Father, son, and holy war. 5. No more Utopias? Re-mapping the present. Bibliography. Index.

"What does it mean to be 'secular'? How are the ideals of secularism actually lived, communicated and experienced in a country where religion and politics are so inextricably linked?

"From the cultural movements of the 1940s to the present day, writers, artists, and directors have countered fascist and imperialist pressures through a variety of popular cultural forms. In this bold and challenging new book, Rustom Bharucha charts the shifting dynamics of religion, community and civil society in an era which has seen the concurrent rise of mass media, globalization and religious fundamentalism. Apart from engaging with the conflicting seculiarist ideologies of films as diverse as Mani Ratnam's Roja and Anand Patwardhan's Father, son and holy war, the book also focuses on different forums for cultural activism, from SAHMAT in New Delhi to the mohalla peace committees in the slums of Mumbai.

"In an area which is increasingly polarized, Bharucha encourages real dialogue about issues such as citizenship, nationalism, secularism and cultural activism, whose repercussions are felt at every level of society in India and across the world. The result is a vital book for all those interested in cultural, gender, film and performance studies." (jacket)