Ranis Making Rotis: Dreams of the Good South Asian Girl

The importance of gender in popular Indian cinema has been noted by a number of scholars, and indeed, even a casual observer may find it difficult to overlook. There are, of course, some significant differences between the Indian cinema of yesteryear and today’s popular Indian films, which are often aimed at a diasporic audience. In an effort to capture this audience, Bollywood films represent heroines who are not always as demure and …