From Raj Kapoor to Aamir Khan, Bollywood stars have possessed cross-over appeal in varied transnational spaces, ranging from remote areas in Azerbaijan and Egypt to the cosmopolitan regions of Germany and China. Concurrently, production companies led by these popular stars are among the largest and most profitable in Bollywood. Star-led productions have therefore been key enablers of Hindi cinema’s transnational flows and global expansion. This project argues that within the Bollywood network stars possess “switching power”. Star switching power is constituted by the star’s effective power and centrality within the Bollywood network as key industry nodes, as well as their affective power as stars and celebrities. This power accords them the ability connect a diverse range of nodes, networks and hubs to enable the global flows of Hindi cinema. In order to explore these issues, this project initiates an interdisciplinary exploration of star power that brings together sociology, affect, industry studies, cultural policy and politics.

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Dr. Swapnil Rai is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Film, Television and Media at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Her research focuses on global film and television, media industries, women and gender studies, race and ethnicity, transnational stardom, and celebrity culture. Her work has appeared in a range of publications including Communication, Culture & Critique, Feminist Media Studies, International Journal of Communication, JumpCut, Journal of the School of Literature (JSL) and Cinephile.

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