ANI PR Wire
08 Nov 2023, 11:32 GMT+10
PRNewswire
New Delhi [India], November 8: What makes 'Hindutva Pop' or H-Pop so popular? Who are its stars and its audience? Award-winning independent journalist Kunal Purohit explores these questions in his riveting investigative book as he travels through India, profiling some of H-Pop's most prolific and popular creators.
Non-fiction | Politics | Paperback | 306 pp | Rs 499
Available wherever books are sold | Releasing 22nd Nov 2023
'Powerful, compellingly original, illuminating... A work of courage.'
--Ramachandra Guha
'Based on solid ground reporting...Frighteningly real, this book is a must-read,'
--Rajdeep Sardesai
'This vital work shows us the faces and makes us hear the voices of those on the frontline of the war this nation is waging against itself.'
--Aakar Patel
'An original and important book which shows that beyond politics, Hindutva is acquiring a societal dimension by penetrating the pillars of India's popular culture.'
--Christophe Jaffrelot
Author, Kunal Purohit, says, "Communal tensions are often dismissed as temporary aberrations. H-Pop reveals a very different truth: communalism has become everyday and continuous. Emerging from four years of travels in seven states, H-Pop shows how Hindutva music, poetry and literature have popularised and normalised this ideology - radicalising ordinary Indians, and driving the tentacles of communalism ever deeper into society."
Associate Publisher, Swati Chopra, says, "In H-Pop, Kunal Purohit brings a credible, original journalistic investigation to Indian citizens months before they elect a new government. The book goes beyond obvious political activities and trains its lens on popular culture and how it is being moulded by a social media-driven band of creators and influencers, who are perhaps as much to be credited for the popularity of right-wing ideology as political leaders and party workers. H-Pop is a must-read for every Indian who wishes to be be better informed about the country they are living in, and creating through their vote."
About the Book
Can a song trigger a murder?
Can a poem spark a riot?
Can a book divide a people?
Away from the gaze of mainstream urban media, across India's dusty, sleepy towns, a brand of popular culture is quietly seizing the imagination of millions, on the internet and off it. From catchy songs with acerbic lyrics to poetry recited in kavi sammelans to social media influencers shaping opinions with their brand of 'breaking news' to books rescripting historical events, 'Hindutva Pop' or H-Pop is steadily creating societal acceptability for Hindutva's core beliefs. By cleverly inserting Hindutva into popular culture, H-Pop normalizes Islamophobia, demonizes minorities and vilifies its critics each day, without ever making headlines.
What makes H-Pop so popular? Who are its stars and its audience? Who is pouring in the money, the effort and the resources to produce and broadcast it? What is its impact on the BJP and Prime Minister Modi's popularity? And what kind of an India is it trying to create?
These are some of the questions that award-winning independent journalist Kunal Purohit explores in this riveting investigative book as he travels through India, profiling some of H-Pop's most prolific and popular creators--its stars and celebrities. He interrogates whether the creators are driven by ideology or commerce, and what motivates the audience to consume their daily dose of bigotry. In doing so, Purohit uncovers the frightening face of a New India--one that is united by hate, divided by art.
About the Author
Kunal Purohit is an award-winning independent journalist, documentary film-maker and podcast creator. Over the past two decades, Kunal has written on issues of development, politics, inequality while focussing more recently on hate crimes and the rise of Hindu nationalism. He is the recipient of the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Civic Journalism (2012), the Statesman Award for Rural Reporting (2014) and the UNFPA-Laadli Media Award for Gender Sensitive Reporting (2014 and 2019).
Kunal has an MSc in Development Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) University of London as a Felix Scholar and a Bachelor's in Mass Media from Mumbai University. His notable works include 'Vanished: Inside India's Bermuda Triangle' (2022), an Audible Original non-fiction podcast, and 'The Children of Nowhere' (2023), a documentary film. He has written for Al Jazeera, ProPublica, The Times of India, Foreign Policy, Hindustan Times, South China Morning Post, Deutsche Welle and The Wire, among others.
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2269148/HarperCollins_Publishers_India_1.jpg
Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2105077/4095906/HarperCollins_Logo.jpg
(ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
Get a daily dose of Herald Globe news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Herald Globe.
More InformationIn the past month alone, 23 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza—three more than the number of remaining living hostages held...
LONDON, U.K.: At least 13 people are believed to have taken their own lives as a result of the U.K.'s Post Office scandal, in which...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Travelers at U.S. airports will no longer need to remove their shoes during security screenings, Department of Homeland...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: An elaborate impersonation scheme involving artificial intelligence targeted senior U.S. and foreign officials in...
SLUBICE, Poland: Poland reinstated border controls with Germany and Lithuania on July 7, following Germany's earlier reintroduction...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: After months of warnings from former federal officials and weather experts, the deadly flash floods that struck the...
(Photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images) Grigor Dimitrov shared an update Friday on the pectoral muscle injury that forced him to...
New Delhi [India], July 11 (ANI): Former Real Madrid star winger Gareth Bale expects new head coach Xabi Alonso to make 'big changes'...
London [UK], July 11 (ANI): Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj paid a tribute to late Liverpool, Portugal footballer Diogo Jota following...
(Photo credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images) Left-handed reliever Fraser Ellard returned to the Chicago White Sox for Friday's doubleheader...
Kathmandu [Nepal], July 11 (ANI): The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu has announced facilitation for three cricket players from Nepali...
(Photo credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images) Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram has been cleared for contract as he works his...