Understanding India: Cultural Influences on Indian Television Commercials is a book about Indian television commercial production. It focuses on how key production decisions shape a television commercial’s visual language. The larger goal of the book is to delineate the link between this visual language and India’s socio-cultural identity.

The book is the outcome of an ethnographic study that attempted to capture the nuances of the cinematic or visual aspect of marketing communications strategy. It is, thus, situated at the intersection of interests in marketing and visual culture.

In this book, many of the discussed television commercials have an embedded vision of India. Within the context of a new consumer culture emerging due to economic liberalization, the book discusses these sketches of India.

Going home -- India changing -- Visualizing India -- India batting -- Feminine India -- Consuming india.

I: GOING HOME

Introduction

Scope of the Study

Television Commercial Production Process

The Role of Images

Television Commercials as Cinema

The National Context

Outline of the Book

II: INDIA CHANGING

Introduction

Liberalization and the Public Sphere

Consumer Socialization

SBI Mutual Fund: Creating the Small Town Investor

SBI Mutual Fund: On the Road

The Four Scripts

Consumer Socialization Revisited

Conclusion

III: VISUALIZING INDIA

Introduction

Choosing the Director

The SBI Mutual Fund Appearance: Simulation and Framing

The SBI Mutual Fund Appearance: Role of Referencing

The SBI Mutual Fund Appearance: Visualizing India

The Tata Indicom Appearance: Indian Visuals

The Tata Indicom Appearance: Mass Appeal as Difference

The Tata Indicom Appearance: The Script and Animation

The Tata Indicom Appearance: Visualizing India

Conclusion

IV: INDIA BATTING

Introduction

Two Forms of Cricket

Reebok–Pedagogical and Performative Citizenship

Reebok: Imagery of the Male Body

Reebok: The Body as In-between

Conclusion

V: FEMININE INDIA

Introduction

The Alpha Female

The Female Assistant

The Female Model

Conclusion

VI: CONSUMING INDIA

Introduction

Visual Representation and Culture

Mediation of Consumerism

Creating the Spectacle

The Role of the Filmmaker

Consuming India

Conclusion