Kavitha Pillay

Identity Construction of South African Indian Women Based on Bollywood: the Influence of Bollywood Films on the Identity Construction of Women Within the South African Indian Diaspora Kavitha Pillay

Modern representations of women which are currently depicted in Bollywood films has led to a particular interest in how Indian women are represented in such films, and how they identify themselves in relation to these representations. Through qualitative data collection and data analysis methods, this study explores the role that Bollywood plays in the lives of South African Indian women. The redefining of identity of South African Indian women, due to the changes in the representation of the female Bollywood characters, is investigated. This study includes an analysis of the history and worldwide proliferation of Bollywood films, the representation of women in these films, the impact of feminist movements on the construction of representations of women in Bollywood, the identity construction of the film viewers and the defining of nation and identity within the South Africa Indian diaspora. The research conducted provides insight on how South African Indian women interpret representations of the female characters in Bollywood films, the extent to which they identify with these characters, and if they are influenced by the representations to redefine their identities.