The Neoliberal Self in Bollywood: Cinema, Popular Culture, and Identity

This book explores the consequences of unbridled expansion of neoliberal values within India through the lens of popular film and culture. It argues that the neoliberal self, a unstable and schizophrenic marker of urban, liberal, millennial Indian identity, is unable to sustain the weight of its own need for self-promotion, optimism, and belief in a narrative of progress and prosperity. The analysis draws upon theories of feminist media studies, popular culture analyses, and film studies to critique mainstream Hindi cinema texts produced in the last two decades.

Format: Hardback
Length: 134 pages
Publication date: 23 February 2024
Publisher: Intellect Books

This captivating book delves into the profound consequences of the unchecked proliferation of neoliberal values within India, shedding light on the intricate dynamics of the neoliberal self. Far from being a stable and unifying marker of urban, liberal, and millennial Indian identity, the neoliberal self possesses a schizophrenic quality, teeming with contradictions and oppositions. It struggles to uphold the weight of its own insatiable need for self-promotion, optimism, and belief in a narrative of progress and prosperity that has dominated mainstream cultural discourse in India.

Yet, beneath this façade of stability lies a sense of precarity and inherent inequality that neoliberal regimes impose upon their subjects. Through a rigorous analysis that encompasses theories of feminist media studies, popular culture analyses, and film studies, the book critically examines a selection of mainstream Hindi cinema texts produced in the past two decades. It also explores a diverse range of other peripheral 'texts,' including the film star, urban space, web series, YouTube videos, and social media content.

The author's exploration of the neoliberal self is a thought-provoking journey that challenges readers to reevaluate their understanding of identity, power, and the role of culture in shaping society. By examining the ways in which neoliberal values are embedded in popular film and culture, the book offers a valuable critique of the dominant narratives that shape our understanding of India and its development. It provides a timely and essential contribution to the ongoing debate about the impact of neoliberalism on social, economic, and political life in the country.

Weight: 414g
Dimension: 176 x 251 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781789388800