Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Date of Degree

6-2026

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Program

Liberal Studies

Advisor

Jerry Carlson

Subject Categories

Film and Media Studies

Keywords

Indian Cinema, Bollywood, Middle Cinema, Hindi Cinema

Abstract

Between 2007 and 2017, a distinctive wave of mainstream Hindi films, termed here as the “New Middle Cinema”, employed aesthetic restraint to reconfigure Bollywood’s identity in response to a rapidly changing India. Rejecting the industry’s traditional spectacle, melodrama, and visual opulence, these films embraced naturalistic visuals, grounded performances, character‑driven narratives, and a muted color palette. Drawing on industrial analysis, close textual reading, and audience reception data, this thesis examines seven representative films (Chak De India, Wake Up Sid, My Name is Khan, The Lunchbox, Piku, Kapoor & Sons, and Lipstick Under My Burkha). It argues that the movement’s aesthetic of restraint emerged from specific material conditions: the rise of multiplexes, the adoption of digital filmmaking, the growth of new production houses, and the expansion of streaming platforms. These films functioned as cultural products for India’s burgeoning urban middle class, reflecting its anxieties around filial duty, professional pressure, urban loneliness, and aging. Their commercial and critical success proved that restrained storytelling could thrive in the mainstream. The thesis also traces the decline of iv the trend after 2017, linking it to political pressures, the resurgence of spectacle‑driven blockbusters, and the migration of realist content to streaming. Ultimately, the New Middle Cinema expanded the boundaries of what mainstream Bollywood could be, leaving a lasting legacy on contemporary Indian cinema.

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