Chick Lit And Cricketing Nationalism: The Significance of Genre in Anuja Chauhan’s The Zoya Factor

Abstract

Cricketing nationalisms in contemporary India often assume ultranationalist overtones, with popular discourses on the sport implying that it is only ‘natural’ that all patriotic citizens pay obeisance to this nationalist sport. This essay offers a close reading of Anuja Chauhan’s popular novel The Zoya Factor (2008), tracing a problematic conversion narrative wherein the protagonist, who is critical of the hegemonic nature of cricketing nationalisms, is transformed into a nationalist cricket fan. The essay argues that in The Zoya Factor, both the initial challenge and ultimate endorsement of the hegemonic cricketing nationalisms are enabled by the generic imperatives of the chick lit novel.