Disco, Dancing, Globalization and Class in 1980s Hindi Cinema

Abstract

Disco first appeared in the Hindi cinema in 1980 and dominated mainstream Indian popular culture in many film soundtracks through much of the 1980s. Its dominance was both enabled and driven by changes in the Indian mediascape and the ongoing dynamics of globalization. Disco was also caught up in a demographic shift in the Hindi cinema audience and changes in some of the key creative voices—singers and composers—of Hindi film song. Disco dancing contributed to changing visions of masculinity and heroism as represented in the cinema. This study examines these issues and shows how the film industry’s partial enthusiasm for, and ability to engage with, western pop also characterized the cultural tensions inherent in 1980s India and its culture industry.