Contesting Hindu Representations in Media and Popular Culture: From Cinema and Comedy to Social Media and Sacred Art

This edited volume explores how Hindus and Hinduism are represented in popular media-from films (Hindi and other Indian language films) and news media (Indian and Western) to stand-up comedy, as well as from devotional music to political art.Featuring contributions from scholars in the humanities, social sciences, and media studies, it examines portrayals-both representative and distorted-of Hindu beliefs, symbols, and practices.It includes a first-of-its-kind analysis of Indian stand-up comedy’s engagement with religion, as well as critical studies of films like Padmaavat and the exoticization and demonization of tantric rituals.This collection offers valuable insights for academics and general readers interested in global perceptions of the world’s third-largest religion, Hinduism, and how Hindus are presented, represented, characterized, and misrepresented.Given the lack of research on these issues, this anthology will provide the energy and direction for studies on identity, religi