Magento Commerce

‘In this book, global India has moved on from postcolonial India and through economic liberalization, and new forms of cultural nationalism stand poised to leave its borders. Recommended.' – A. Hirsh, Emeritus, Central Connecticut State University, ‘Choice’

'Bhattacharya’s introduction underscores the salient role of economic liberalisation in shaping the Bombay film industry and its narratives… The contributions [draw] our attention to changes in genre and industrial contexts, the (re)production of the new on-screen patriarch, the dominance of Bhangra and the Punjabi body in Hindi films, screen patriotism and violence, the emergence of assertive female desire and queer sexuality as well as the rise of a ‘new ethics of individualism, enjoyment and freedom’… As a whole, ‘Bollywood and Globalization’ increases our understanding of post-liberalisation Hindi film.' —Monika Mehta, Binghamton University, in the ‘Journal of Intercultural Studies’

An informative discourse on the impact of globalization on Bollywood cinema and its implications. Scholars of film and cultural studies will find it useful for the range of topics it encompasses.' —‘South Asian Diaspora’

Commercial cinema has always been one of the biggest indigenous industries in India, and remains so in the post-globalization era, when the Indian economy has entered a new phase of global participation, liberalization and expansion. Issues of community, gender, society and social and economic justice, bourgeois-liberal individualism, secular nationhood and ethnic identity are nowhere more explored in the Indian cultural mainstream than in commercial cinema. As Indian economy and policy have gone through a sea-change after the end of the Cold War and the commencement of the Global Capital, the largest cultural industry has followed suit. For example, the global Indian community (known in Indian official terms as the Non-Resident Indian or the NRI) has become an integral part of the cultural representation of India.

The politics and ideology of Indian commercial cinema has become extremely complex, offering a fascinating case-study to scholars of Global culture. Of particular interest is the positioning of individual identity vis-à-vis nation, religion, class, and gender. The definition of ‘nationhood’ and/ or community has become much more fluid, keeping in tune with sweeping universal claims of globalization; the films have consequently revised the scope of the narratives to match India’s emerging global business ambitions. ‘Bollywood and Globalization’ is a significant scholarly contribution to the current debate on Indian cinema, nationhood and global culture. The articles represent a variety of theoretical and pedagogical approaches, and the collection will be appreciated by students and scholars alike.