Who is afraid of Shah Rukh Khan? Neoliberal India’s Fears seen through a Cinematic Prism

Abstract

21st century India constructs itself as a neoliberal and consumerist superpower. In his cinematic career Shah Rukh Khan has become an icon of a rampant middle class, transforming himself from an antihero into a model story of Indian success. Focusing on identity politics, in this article his persona is utilized as a prism through which some representations of fears connected to 20th century India can be observed.

Keywords

• indian cinema
• contemporary indian history
• identity
• communalism