Kehte Hain Humko Pyar Se Indiawaale: Shaping a contemporary diasporic Indianness in and through the Bollywood Song

Abstract

In a contemporary moment rife with cultural reciprocation and symbolized by exaggerated hyper-mobilities, Indianness in general and diasporic Indianness in particular is constantly subject to redefinition and reinvention. Even as the Bollywood song’s cinematic fate remains open to speculation, its ability to transcend barriers of space and language, and its near-universal accessibility lend it a unique cultural currency, affording diasporic audiences a space for collective identification. Whether through formal practices, such as dance and fitness classes, or more informal interactions such as wedding performances, appropriation of the song becomes, for the diasporic Indian, a convenient tool for asserting both cultural allegiance and difference even as song themes targeting the diaspora impart a vision of their own that is often grossly exaggerated. Through a combination of primary fieldwork, content analysis and secondary research, this article seeks to understand how the Bollywood song shapes a diasporic Indianness and, in turn, gets shaped by it. My emphasis is on analyzing the diaspora’s relationship with the song and the song’s potential for diasporic identity negotiation.

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