Dr Priyanka Singh

Position: Lecturer in Film Studies (Curriculum Re-Defined)
Areas of expertise: Women's Authorship and Representation in Indian Cinema, Feminism, Post-Colonialism, Subalternity, Psychoanalysis, Identity politics, Decolonisation, Marginalised and Minority Narratives.
Email: P.Singh3@leeds.ac.uk
Location: 2.23 Michael Sadler Building
Website: X | LinkedIn | ORCID

Profile

I am Lecturer in Film Studies, specialising in Indian Cinema and emerging cinemas from South Asia and the Middle East. I am primarily interested in exploring transdisciplinary and multicultural topics in both my teaching and research. Also of interest to me are the connections between contemporary cinematic themes and alternative discourses, particularly as seen through the lenses of postcolonialism, feminism, psychonalysis and subalternity.

I am also working as a curriculum re-defined lecturer contributing to the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion initiatives that create an inclusive learning environment within the school. I am also working with Student Education Leadership in the school/ faculty to co-ordinate and communicate timelines across project components.

I completed my PhD at the University of Creative Arts, United Kingdom in 2022. My PhD titled Female Desire in Contemporary Indian Cinema examined the way women are embodied in Indian films alongside the development of female authorship particularly in the last decade. My work aims to combine feminist scholarship, including Western psychoanalytically fuelled feminism, Indian feminism as well as Hindu religious beliefs and ideologies associated with race, class and ethnicity.

I currently act as a judge for The Global Undergraduate Awards, marking various pieces of creative artwork, including photography, videography, design, and installations.

Responsibilities

Curriculum Re-Defined Lecturer in Film Studies
MA Module Manager (Film Arts and Industries)

Research interests

Research conference papers/presentation

Roundtable Discussion: New EUP Volume: The Ethics of Documentary Film: MeCCSA conference, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh September 2025
Exploitation of ‘She’ and ‘Sherni’: Environmental Justice, Eco-Feminism and Marginalisation in ‘Sherni’: Film Philosophy Conference, University of Malta, Malta June 2025
Decolonising Queer Desires and Rethinking Intersectionality through Neeraj Ghaywan’s Netflix film Geeli Pucchi: Bees Saal Baad! The Past, Present and Possible Futures of SAPC, Birmingham City University, UK-July, 2024
Nasty ‘Darlings’ of Netflix and the Tryst of Rage and Revenge: Film Philosophy Conference, Chapman University, Orange, California, United States of America- June, 2023
Terrorising Patriarchy: Transgression, Twisted Feet and Thirsty Chudail in Bulbbul: De-Westernizing Horror Genre- King’s College, London – October, 2022.
Female Desire in Contemporary Indian Cinema: between Psychoanalysis and Goddess Kali: Disruptions/Transgressions Online seminars affiliated with University of Gdansk, Poland – 6 April, 2022.
The Space for an Indian Women: Psychosocial Experience and Bollywood: I World Cinema International Conference (Cinema of India) – University Complutense of Madrid (Spain) – 15–16 June, 2021.
The Space for an Indian Women: Psychosocial Experience and Bollywood: APS Reading Conference, The Psychosocial- Reflections and Developments-Birkbeck University, London – May, 2019.
Representation of Hegemonic Power, Abuse and Class in Hindi Women Centric Films: Global Challenges and Research – University of Bedfordshire, Luton – May, 2019.
Intersectionality and Ideology in Cinema: An Analysis of Parched (Sex and the Village: An Indian Version): Psychoanalysis, nationalism, and Ideology- University of Gdansk, Poland – October, 2018.
Creative Practice Research versus the Theory I Deploy: Creative Practice Research in the Age of Neo-Liberal Hopelessness – University of Bedfordshire, Luton – May, 2018.
Bollywood and Women: Research with Impact – University of Bedfordshire, Luton – December, 2017.
The Very Vilest Cinema Things: Gender, Vulnerability, Representation and Feminism Enigma: Interdisciplinary Conference on Gender Studies 2017 in Edinburgh as a guest speaker – Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh – October, 2017.

Conference/seminar organisation

Disruptions/Transgressions Online seminars affiliated with University of Gdansk, Poland, April–July 2022.
Women, Violence and Art, University of Bedfordshire, March 2019.
Creative Practices Research in the Age of Neoliberal Hopelessness Conference, University of Bedfordshire, May 2018.
Sewing Reality, University of Bedfordshire, May 2018.
Research with Impact, University of Bedfordshire, December 2017.

Workshop participant

“Emerging Curators Lab” UK Asian Film Festival (UKAFF), 2022

Public Speaking

Panel discussion, A Door to the Sky, Hyde Park Picture House, Leeds.
Introduction, Black Girl, Opera North, Leeds
Introduction, Mandabi, Senegalese Community, Leeds
Panel Discussion, what's love got to do with it?, Leeds Cultural Trust, Hyde Park Book Club, Leeds
Q & A and Panel Discussion with the Director Leesa Gazi of A House Named Shahana, Hyde Park Picture House, Leeds
Invited talk at Walker Morris, Leeds. Title: Reclaiming Narrative- ‘Roots to Routes’ celebrating South Asian Heritage Month
Invited talk at Central University of Punjab, India. Title: Women Desire in Contemporary Indian Cinema

Publications

Priyanka Singh. 2026 (in press). Female Desire in Contemporary Bollywood. Routledge.
Priyanka Singh. 2024. Documenting Dalit Women—Their Journey from Tyrannies to Triumphs. In The Ethics of Documentary Film: New Approaches.
Dibyadyuti Roy, Priyanka Singh, and Yashashwani Srinivas. 2024. Introduction to the BASAS 2023 Special Section. Contemporary South Asia 32(4): 544–547. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09584935.2024.2421914
Priyanka Verma. 2020. The Voices of Uncertainty. Pandemic as Systematic Flux, Murmuration’s: Journal of Transformative Systematic Practice.
Priyanka Verma. 2020. Parched (Sex and the Village: An Indian Version). Free Associations: Psychoanalysis and Culture, Media, Groups, Politics 79 (Septem

Qualifications

PhD in Film Studies, University of Arts, London
MSc in Digital Film Technologies and Production Techniques, University of Bedfordshire

Professional memberships

BAFTSS (British Association of Film, Television and Screen Studies)
Visible Evidence
The Society for Cinema and Studies
British Association for South Asian Studies: Co-Editor of Special Edition
New Cinemas: Journal of Contemporary Films:Editor
British Association for South Asian Studies: Council Member

Student education

I teach on a range of modules on Film Studies programme. I deliver research-led teaching that focuses on women representation in cinema and culture. Feminism, Postcolonialism, Documentary Ethics, Migration, identity politics, decolonisation, Psychoanalysis, subalternity, Masculinity, Cinema of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and China.

Modules I have taught on include:

Film Arts & Industries (PG)
Current Inquiries into Film Studies (UG)
Questioning Genre in World Cinema(UG)
Women Authorship in World Cinema (UG)
Directing World Cinema (UG)
Introduction to Audio-Visual Cultures (UG)
Independent Projects (PG)

Supervision

I have supervised a number of Film Studies undergraduate and postgraduate projects. Queer cinema, Women Representation, Indian cinema, Chinese cinema, Race, and Film History are some of the topics I've supervised.In addition, I am currently supervising a number of practice-based projects, such as videographic criticism (video essays). Prospective PhD candidates with interests in Feminism, Postcolonialism, Documentary Ethics, Migration, Psychoanalysis, Masculinity, Indian Cinema, Pakistani Cinema, Chinese Cinema are encouraged to contact me.