Through the medium of selected Indian Diasporic cinema, the research envisages to explore the Indian Diasporic Identity for the migrant individual. Amongst its multifaceted identities—cultural, social, gendered, historical, religious, political, national and now transnational, the Indian Diaspora has encompassed various modes of Identity construction. The Indian Diaspora imprints its unique yet hybrid identity on places that it occupies, initiating such places to act as catalysts of Identity construction.
Focusing on three selected Diasporic films—Bend it Like Beckham, Mississippi Masala and The Namesake, I seek to follow the lives of the characters that represent the Indian migrant individual. The reel spaces along with the real space synergistically assert the boundaries of culture, class, gender and nation. The heteronormative structures that are often associated with the Indian Identity shall also be questioned and critiqued. The discussion shall be supported by postcolonial discourse on migration, Diaspora and transnationalism. It is argued that the medium of Diasporic cinema expresses, creates, represents and sometimes shatters the existing identities.
This research, thus, is intended to suggest possible trends and point to future research directions.