The Relationship and Impact of Bollywood on the Indian Diaspora

The chapter emphasizes the relationship and impact of Bollywood on the Indian diaspora. For the Indian diaspora, Bollywood remains the crucial vehicle that has been able to articulate their emotional life. It has helped them remain connected with their cultural values, thus making them feel ‘Indian’. Bollywood for them symbolizes something other than mere entertainment. The Bollywood connect is in fact the simplest and easiest way to link with their roots without actually having to travel to India. The objective of this chapter is to give convincing examples of the relationship and impact that Bollywood has on the Indian diaspora. In the desire to create a simulation of the culture and community they left behind, Indian immigrants flock in front of the big screen. The cinema halls for them represent a place of community in which they can not only experience but also create culture and keep it vibrant. The chapter highlights how Indian cinema, mainly Bollywood, has grown and become a significantly discussed cultural product and is increasingly emerging as a significant export for the country mainly with the Indian diaspora and the Indian expatriates who have always been keen to engage with the popular culture of their home country and the country of their ancestors.