ABSTRACT
This chapter directs itself from two theoretical perspectives: Lechner and Boli’s (2008) definition of globalization, and “soft power,” a concept coined by Nye (2004) which expresses a country’s ability to exert global economic, political, and social influence through cultural and informational flows and as a means of success in world politics. The focus of this chapter is India and the discussion relates to “Bollywood” movies, the term used for popular Hindi-language cinema, and their impact on the Indian diaspora. The themes, content, production processes, marketing, and world releases, as well as the popularity of films stars across continents, are trends indicating the globalization of “Bollywood.” Producers are experimenting with new themes to reach out to the overseas Indian diaspora, many of which are hybrids of two cultures, of living and working in countries different from the country of origin.
