Meghna Mishra supervised by Dr. Sushmita Banerji received her  Master of Science –  Dual Degree in Computer Science and Engineering  (CSD). Here’s a summary of her research work on Masculinities on Indian OTT: A Critical Analysis of Post Covid Netflix Originals:

This study critically analyses portrayals of masculinity on Over The Top (OTT) platforms in India, which have seen a marked rise in viewership since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Netflix, currently the largest investor in original content in India, offers a range of curated material in 31 languages. Masculinity over the years in Indian cinema, particularly the Bollywood industry, has largely been portrayed through hegemonic notions of normativity. Through simple distinctions between good and bad, a clear contrast is set up between a hero and an anti-hero. R. W. Connell suggests a hierarchy of masculinities, in the middle of which lies Marginalised Masculinity. This study constructs this marginalised masculinity as working-class. We contend that at the intersection of class and socioeconomic status lies a violent expression of masculinity accepted by the neo-liberal audience of Netflix. The Netflix original productions considered for this study exempt the working class man from ethical obligations, in his conquest to liberate himself from his class position. Aspirational capitalism makes it okay to be ethically dubious, spawning a troubling masculinity. We use a three-step coding method to substantiate qualitative discourse analysis of Jamtara – Sabka Number Aayega (2020, Soumendra Padhi), Class (2023, Ashim Ahluwalia), and The White Tiger (2021, Ramin Bahrani).

July 2025