THE RECEPTION OF BOLLYWOOD CINEMA AMONG INDIANS IN AUSTINBollywood, Diaspora and Social Media

Research plan

Bollywood 101Its connections with Indian DiasporaMy research interestTheoretical framework & potential sampleResearch questionsQ&A

Intro to BollywoodHindi film industry is one of the most thriving, globally

Bollywood is able to hold its own in India against Hollywood, partly because of cultural proximity

How do diasporic populations react to Bollywood?

Indian diasporaFor college-educated, English speaking audience , Western programming is a signifier of cultural capital

At the same time, when members of this elite community live abroad they miss home

Bollywood becomes one way of articulating Indianness, irrespective of cultural background

The Big Picture

Why study this?Do social media play an important role in the dissemination of Bollywood content among Indians in Austin?How do social media help shape nostalgia post-26/11?How do imagined communities come together online?

Theoretical frameworks

Cultural proximity

Imagined communities

Global cultural flows

Sample

Indian students and professionals living in Austin

Many work in information technology and allied areas

Do they make heavy use of social media to get their Bollywood fix?

How often

did you watch Bollywood films in India?

do you watch a Bollywood film at the Tinseltown South theater?

do you use Netflix to watch Bollywood films?

do you post song videos and film clips on social media such as Facebook?

Do youmiss India a lot more after 26/11?prefer watching clips of Bollywood films on YouTube or entire movies?prefer stories engaging the diasporic experience?access more Bollywood content post-26/11?tend to watch Bollywood films aloneor use it as an opportunity to bond with family and friends who speak your native tongue?engage friends or strangers from different regions, or ethnicities, in an online discussion about Bollywood cinema?

QUESTIONS?