Rajadhyaksha, Ashish 2003, ‘The ‘Bollywoodization’ of the Indian cinema: cultural nationalism in a global arena’, Inter-Asia cultural studies, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 25-39
In this source, Rajadhyaksha (2003, pp.25-39) discusses the popularity of India’s film industry, Bollywood. He explains how this has become a global industry, targeting many more than the billion South Asians, or Desis, at home. This has resulted in a major expansion of the Indian entertainment industry, and hundreds of millions of Bollywood fans. Rajadhyaksha also examines a number of sources claiming that “the Indian film industry is not solely based in Mumbai, that ‘foreign money’ is still hardly available for film productions even though it would like to cream off non-local distribution profits; that such money is not necessarily distinguishable from the ‘underworld’ and is, therefore, not exactly what you would describe as ‘benign’”. Rajadhyaksha explains that there is a significant distinction between the Bollywood industry and the Indian cinema. Bollywood is significantly more recent, having been around for about 20 years, whereas Indian cinema has existed as a national industry for over 60 years. He also distinguishes between the audiences of the two, stating that Bollywood is intended for a diasporic audience of Indians, and can be exported into India. However, the Indian cinema is often not successful with this audience, and suffers when it comes to defining a generic production line, and a stable channel of capital inflow.
Ryoo, Woongjae 2009, ‘Globalization, or the logic of cultural hybridization: the case of the Korean wave’, Asian journal of communication, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 137-151.
In this source, Ryoo (2009, pp.137-151) demonstrates the complexity and consequences of the cultural hybridization thesis in relation to the ‘globalisation of culture’ debate. He discusses the Korean wave, arguing that it is an indication of new transformations in the cultural and economic field. This phenomenon particularly indicates “a regionalization of transnational cultural flows as it entails Asian countries’ increasing acceptance of cultural production and consumption from neighbouring countries that share similar historical and cultural backgrounds, rather than from politically and economically powerful others.” Ryoo explains the formation of imagined regional community through popular culture. He states that many Asian countries have historically tended to share closer connections to the former colonial empires or advanced western countries in terms of cultural understanding and exchanges, rather than with their closest neighbours. However, this origin is changing, as many Asian cities are dedicating cultural spaces to ideas and products from popular culture (music, films, television dramas) that originated and were produced in Asia. Ryoo also explains that these changes have not yet influenced Asian politics and economies, as there are many associated dangers in relation to the stability of world order. Many countries within the Asian region are still affected by political antagonism, therefore a more stable place for public concern and discussion must be established on a transnational level.
Reference List:
Rajadhyaksha, Ashish 2003, ‘The ‘Bollywoodization’ of the Indian cinema: cultural nationalism in a global arena’, Inter-Asia cultural studies, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 25-39.
Ryoo, Woongjae 2009, ‘Globalization, or the logic of cultural hybridization: the case of the Korean wave’, Asian journal of communication, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 137-151.
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