Using Manuel Castell’s theorization of network society, communication power, and ways in which power is constituted through networks, this paper argues that Bollywood is a network of a variety of nodes that include various individual and institutional actors (Castells). The three primary nodes in the Bollywood Network that work together to produce this complex system are the state, industry and celebrity. These nodes have historically been key to the globalization of Indian films. Of these predominant nodes, the celebrity node is most unique to Bollywood. Unlike other regions, Bollywood star is at the helm of all industrial and political networks. They are economically embedded in the industry as stakeholders, and mired in political networks as politicians. While, in America, Reagan and Shwarzenegger’s forays into politics were considered anomalies, politics is a well-accepted second career for Bollywood celebrities. As such, celebrities in Bollywood function both as transnational bridges, with “switching power” that connect key institutional nodes within and outside Bollywood, thereby enabling its global presence, and as “network effects,” internally influencing networks’ function, and, by extension, Bollywood’s conception and image both domestically and internationally.
Within Castell’s theoretical frame, “switching power” is the ability to connect one network cluster to another, or rather interconnect a diverse range of networks. Switches thus become pivotal bridging nodes because they possess the ability to diversify and configure a network (Castells, 2004). “Network effect,” or positive network externality, on the other hand is a concept from economics that refers to the effect or influence a user of goods or services has on the others. In other words it defines the idea of celebrity users as trendsetting nodes within the Bollywood network. They influence and create a network effect. This paper articulates how the above concepts are integral to Bollywood’s globalization and documents the celebrity’s historical influence on the global flow of Indian cinema. The following sections highlight how celebrity interacts with other primary nodes, like the state and industry, and the mechanism through which this interaction enables Bollywood’s global presence and transnational appeal.