Materials: Ramayana Backgrounder/Sita Sings the Blues (double-sided handout)
Video Clip "Sita Sings the Blues"
1. Ask students to brainstorm examples of "fusion" in popular culture (i.e Kill Bill, Bride and Prejudice, Jay-Z remixes with Punjabi MC--hopefully, students will have more current examples). Start the discussion: What makes these fusions successful? Are they better than their "original" or separate forms? 2. Give students a copy of the double-sided worksheet, and read the article about "Sita Sings the Blues" together. Ensure that students have understood the reading with a few questions: What is being "fused" in this film? Where does the Ramayana originate from? Pick out some descriptive words and phrases used to describe the film.
3. Identify the characters in the picture using the Ramayana guide on the other side of the page. Ask students to comment on any differences they notice in the two depictions, particularly with reference to standards of beauty. How are male characters shown? How are female characters shown?
4. Show the video clip from Sita Sings the Blues. Ask students to briefly summarize what they see on the screen, and decide which part of the story is being told (as described on the worksheet). Students should reference the "fairy tale conventions" chart to see if there are any similar features to tales we have already examined.
5. Ask students to find definitions for the words in bold on the handout, and answer some questions for understanding and making connections (put on the board):
1. How is the character Sita's situation similar to Buttercup's?
2. Why do the narrators of Sita Sings the Blues keep changing their story?
3. Imagine that you are a director asked to fuse the story of The Princess Bride with another genre of film. Describe how you would do this, and explain your choice.
