ABSTRACT
India’s recent economic growth and the effect this has had on middle-class formation has made an impact on the way Indian men have started to reflect on their own bodies and associated masculinity. India’s urban landscape is now dotted with gyms, both small ones operating on a neighbourhood-level and larger facilities set-up by nationally or internationally operating brands. It cannot be ignored that the development whereby Indian men have now become the object of the gaze instead of ‘simply’ being the bearer of the look, coincides with a decade of considerable economic growth and a rapidly expanding middle class. While personal and career related ambitions and notions of professionalism are communicated through the ‘ideal type’ body, this appears to stand in direct relation to ideas of coping with emerging consumer culture, globalization and the manifold challenges rapidly transforming cities bring with them as well.
