Hero and Hero-Worship: Fandom in Modern India (Critical Media Studies)

In the aftermath of liberalization of Indian economy in 1991, the study of star-fan studies has experienced exponential expansion. Hero and Hero-Worship: Fandom in Modern India explores the areas of political, religious, film and cricket star fandoms; analyzing the rise of star formations and their consequent fandoms, star-fan bonds, as well as the physical and virtual space that both stars and fans inhabit. As perhaps one of the first book-length studies on Indian fandom, this volume not only draws on the works of Jenkins and other fandom scholars, but also explores the economic and cultural specificities of Indian fandom. This book will be of particular interest to scholars working in the field, as well as general readers interested in understanding star-fan interactions and intersections. List of figures and tables Acknowledgements Foreword 1. Introduction: Hero and hero-worship: understanding fandom in modern India 2. Discourse on fandom in modern India: where do we stand? 3. Stardom: deceiving the 'self' 4. Discursive power of enigmatic stars: dynamics of celebrity culture 5. The cult of Aamir Khan: a cultural study of Indian fandom 6. Soap opera stars as corporate commodities: the political economy of television stardom 7. Celebrity endorsements in advertisements: influence on the buying behavior of the youth 8. Bewitching Bombay: a reflection on the fandom of an urban space 9. Fandom of Banaras: beats’ guiding star of east 10. Cultural politics of war-heroes: revisiting the soldier bio-icons of Jammu 11. Indigenous heroes of nature and culture: fashioning environmental fandom in Hodesum 12. What my hero means to me: the confession of a Batman enthusiast List of contributors Index.