Hero and Hero-Worship: Fandom in Modern India

The book offers to examine star/fan studies in India which seems to have experienced exponential extension in the aftermath of liberalization of Indian economy in 1991 and has now emerged as a vital part of pop culture. Fans are no longer perceived as passive, brainwashed recipients but contrary to this notion, they are now seen as actively subversive in mobilizing their dissent, questioning and even offering their take on texts. The focus in the book is on understanding fandom as a phenomenon than a type. In such a scenario the areas that the book sets out to explore are political, religious, filmic and cricket star -fandoms. The book analyses the rise of star formations and their consequent fandoms, star-fan bonds/collisions, physical and virtual space that the stars/fans inhabit. It is an interesting study on Indian fandom that not only draws on the works of Jenkins and other fandom scholars but also looks at economic and cultural specificities of Indian fandom. I am sure the book will not only be useful to the scholars working in the field but also to general readers interested in understanding star-fan interactions/intersections. The book provides a fascinating, vivid portrait of the myriad practices of the fan communities in the field of politics, religion, arts, sports, media, cinema, television, academics etc. that bring together the visual practices, spectators, performativity and desire modelling fans’ lives at the intersection of fantasy and reality. This volume is an informative and insightful addition to scholarship on fans and public culture in India.

Seema Malik

Professor of English

Mohanlal Sukhadia University

Udaipur. Rajasthan. India