Zee TV-Europe and the construction of a pan-European South Asian identity

Abstract

The present article offers a textual analysis of the audio-visual possibilities of the non-terrestrial Zee TV-Europe channel in facilitating South Asian Diaspora identities and representations of belonging in Western Europe. In particular it focuses on Your Zindagi and Euro Zindagi , two of the channel's programmes that aim to address European South Asians. It is argued that Zee TV-Europe is creating an alternative version and vision of national and European identities across the South Asian Diaspora in Britain and the rest of Western Europe. Furthermore, part of Zee TV's success in Europe is due to its ability to depict daily and eclectic South Asian representations that have not been adequately served in the mainstream media channels of Europe. The article concludes by considering the growing plethora of non-terrestrial television channels marketed for the South Asian Diaspora, and raises questions about their South Asianness and its possible socio-cultural and political uses in an increasingly deregulated and liberalised international media order.