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Let’s see what the Generation Z and Millennials have to say about the return of the day and age of low rise denim, bling and flip phones!.

In today’s increasingly globalised world, fashion knows no bounds. The dynamic and vibrant styles born from the fusion of Western and Indian clothing have captivated a worldwide audience. The rich tapestry of modern outfits, with their bold colours and intricate embellishments, perfectly complements the elegance and vibrancy of Indian accessories, creating a striking fashion statement.

Supriya likes the k-dramas because of their emotional, well written storylines that traverse their journey within 16 episodes. She feels that the dramas have “well executed plots, mix of all emotions, all genres like romantic, thriller etc. The places and scenes, shots and the quality of the dramas make them popular.” She adds, “the actors are good looking and would be fashionably dressed,” accrediting the Korean fashion scenario.

Korean Drama Poster – ‘You are Beautiful’ “I started with ‘You are beautiful,’ a Park Shin Hye and Jang Geun Suk starrer drama,” a popular and classic k-drama which had her hooked on to the k-drama bandwagon. Her favorite actors now are more mature actors like Gong Yoo, Park Seo Joon, Jang Hyuk, Yoo Ah In and Nam Goong Min to name a few. She also follows their lifestyles and latest news on youtube and discusses the same with her daughters.These dramas appeal to the female audience due to their sensitive portrayal of characters, balance of the traditional values and contemporary lifestyles, Supriya observes that “the issues they talk about are so close to women that you feel that they are talking about problem you too face.” Universality of problems of contemporary women living in patriarchal societies are sensitively handled. She nostalgically adds the dramas touch a chord in her as “it transports me to my younger self.”

She recounts “in 2016, there was a huge Korean Tourism theme in Pragati Maidan. I visited it and saw a boy band performing and got myself photographed with Lee Min Ho poster.” She enthusiastically took pictures with popular Hallyu star Lee Min Ho to share with her daughters.

A globally travelled urban Indian with an adventurous food palette, she feels “their food habits are somewhat similar to mine,” as refers to her Bengali roots. She actively supports Korean culture and food to indulge herself in Korean cuisine and is aware of the names of the food that she has picked up from the k-dramas.

She is an influencer of sorts who got her 46-year daughter in Delhi and her school going grandson hooked on to the Hallyu wave during the pandemic, after recounting their stories and video clips to them. Though her grandson also had his interest heightened through his school friends, he actively follows k-dramas, Korean fashion and culture. The three generations actively discuss their new found love, interspersed with Korean terminologies
like sanrangheyo (I love you). The Hallyu wave is exemplary of soft power that is spreading pervasively across the Indian sub-continent. Supriya’s 16-year-old grandson likes to hang out at GOTTEA a flavored Tea outlet in the
vicinity of his home in South Delhi. Bubble Tea and flavored tea are sometimes projected through their k-dramas, piquing the interest of the followers. He also indulges in Ramyon (Korean noodles) at Kori’s, the Korean food outlet. The dramas excel in the product placement of food, beauty products that are now finding traction in the Indian market. Koricart.com is an online platform that has Korean product ranging from beauty, home accessories to food items.

 

The luxury of time during the pandemic has enhanced the interest of the Indian viewer with the Korean content. As per indiantelivision.com, the k-drama viewership on Netflix “has increased over 370% in 2020 from 2019” and “since March 2020, at least six Korean drama titles have featured On Netflix India’s top trending list.” Squid Games, a Korean product is currently trending globally as “number one on Netflix in an incredible 90 countries ”The cross-cultural power of music has seen a rise of K-pop content in India. The significance of the group in India was seen through the BTS interview by NDTV featuring BTS ARMY their fanbase in India. The BTS Meal at McDonalds found wide popularity across countries. They also demonstrated their soft power at the global stage and established BTS as cultural ambassadors at the UN. Korean Cultural center has actively promoted music, culture and interaction with Indian counterparts. They organize competitions to engage their Indian audiences through dance competitions, know your stars etc. As a precursor to the Hallyu wave that is sweeping across
India, the Korean Fair at the popular mall at Select City walk, Delhi in the first week of October 2021 is testament to the popularity of all things Korean.

 

-Dr. Preetha Hussain, Professor