In the 21st century, the representation of Indian culture and lifestyle has transcended traditional boundaries of cinema and documentary, finding a dynamic and often fragmented home in digital content. This paper examines the production, consumption, and commodification of "Indianness" across platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and OTT (Over-the-Top) media. Using a mixed-method approach of content analysis and audience reception theory, the study identifies three dominant content archetypes: The Hyper-Traditional , The Neo-Urban Fusion , and The Regional Revivalist . Findings indicate that while digital content democratizes cultural expression and preserves intangible heritage, it simultaneously risks cultural flattening and performative authenticity. The paper concludes that Indian lifestyle content serves as a digital ganga —a sacred, flowing, but polluted river of symbols, rituals, and aspirations.
Digital Darshan: The Evolution and Impact of Indian Culture and Lifestyle Content in the New Media Era desi saree mms
This paper asks: How is contemporary Indian culture repackaged as digital content? And what are the socio-cultural consequences of this repackaging? Existing scholarship is bifurcated. Early work (Appadurai, 1996) focused on “mediascapes” and the global flow of Indian culture. Later studies (Rodrigues & Ranganathan, 2019) analyzed diaspora content creators. However, little has been written on domestically produced, everyday lifestyle content —vlogs about morning chai , minimalist mandir decor, or sustainable living using traditional khadi . In the 21st century, the representation of Indian
Indian culture, lifestyle content, digital media, performativity, cultural commodification, OTT, influencer culture. 1. Introduction India is not a culture but a continent of cultures. The phrase "Indian culture and lifestyle" is a heuristic—a necessary simplification for a subcontinent housing over 2,000 distinct ethnic groups and 1,600 spoken languages. Historically, global understanding of Indian lifestyle was mediated through Bollywood, classical dance, or colonial anthropology. However, the proliferation of affordable smartphones and cheap data (the Jio effect) has shifted content creation from Mumbai’s studios to the kitchens, streets, and festivals of Lucknow, Coimbatore, and Dimapur. And what are the socio-cultural consequences of this