Abstract

The representation of marginalized communities in Indian popular culture is a critical site of social negotiation resistance and transformation. From cinema and television to literature and digital media the portrayal of Dalits Adivasis LGBTQ+ individuals religious minorities and other subaltern groups has historically oscillated between invisibility misrepresentation and selective inclusion. This research paper examines how Indian popular culture has constructed distorted or reclaimed the identities of marginalized communities through different mediums and time periods. It interrogates the structural hierarchies that shape cultural production and analyses emerging narratives of resistance and authenticity in contemporary cultural spaces. The study uses an interdisciplinary lens—drawing from sociology media studies and postcolonial theory—to highlight the politics of visibility voice and representation. Through critical case studies and theoretical grounding it explores the dynamics be