Abstract

In the past few years Italy has been hit by a powerful wave of "indiamania". Indian outfits and accessories together with "chicken tandoori", "ayurvedic" medicine, yoga, "bhangra" music and Bollywood movies are, surprisingly, the height of fashion at the moment. How has this passion for India managed to spread so thoroughly? And most importantly, on which images of India is this attraction built upon? In Italy, unlikely other geographical realities, the expansion of this taste for Indian things is not directly linked to the presence of Indian immigrants. An important factor in the spread of Italian "indiamania" can be found in the sudden increase of "Indian style" images broadcast by the media through movies and commercials that have accustomed the public to a particular kind of Indian taste. The images that are generally used by the media are those of a country steeped in magic and exoticism: pleasant icons that are easily absorbed into the common imaginary and are later used to define authenticity.