Pawan Sharma

In an era when global entertainment is dominated by corporate media giants, my research provides a counter-narrative from the Global South, with a focus on Malwa, a provincial region in India. It delves into diverse media infrastructures, encompassing film theaters, pirated distribution networks and the evolving world of streaming and social media. I theorize that this peripheral media ecology serves as a framework for reimagining cultural identity, citizenship, and belongingness resulting in improvisational civic participation with the nation-state and global economy. By integrating theoretical research with the making of a documentary, I investigate distinctive modes of media subcultures, both created and consumed by the people of Malwa. Furthermore, my research, using Malwa as a case study, provides a theoretical framework for understanding the extensive influence of media in crafting aspirations and shaping everyday life in the Global South.