History of portable video in India

What is it about?

Portable video arrived in India in the early 1970s. In this article I consider its early users and how they used the technology, the style and techniques they adopted, how they defined their goals and the ways in which they tried to create a participatory video culture. Historical sources include original documents, videos and interviews with members of Cendit, the first video collective in India,

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Why is it important?

The article provides new and original historical information about the trajectory of portable video in India. It shows how the portability of the technology allowed users to experiment with new representational techniques, and attempt to rework the categories of viewer and producer. The technology offered new forms of democratic participation and was instrumental in propelling the independence documentary movement whose beginnings can be seen in the experiments at Cendit. The article connects the developments in India with International debates and issues.