A Passage to India: Images of India in U.K/U.S Feature Films from 1930-2000.

This paper systematically documents the portrayals of India and its peoples in the Western film media. A content analysis methodology was used to observe and analyze feature films produced in the U.S and/or U.K from 1930-2000 where India and/or Indians feature in the storyline. The study identified, described and analyzed portrayals at three levels ? movie, scene and character. The findings suggest that there are significant differences in the portrayals of India and the West with respect to climate, scene locale, poverty, calamities, pollution, religious practices, death rituals, modes of transportation, attire, arts and leisure, and, treasures. Indian and non-Indian characters differed significantly with respect to occupation, place of residence, economic class, language, role, health, and religion. Overall, four stereotypical formulae emerge ? India as a land of the wild, of misery, of mystery and of luxury. The role of media in dispelling misconceptions and breaking uni-dimensional stereotypes about other cultures are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]