What explains India's strange celebrity bhakti culture?

Indians are obsessed with celebrities. Rajinikanth reportedly has 50,000 fan clubs. Salman ‘bhai’ has a cult following. Supporters of Jayalalithaa can do anything for 'Amma'. What explains this obsession of Indians with Bollywood stars, cricketers, and political leaders?

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Sources:

1. Introduction
https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/thackeray-shiv-sena-members-stage-protest-in-mumbai-theatre-before-screening-of-nawazuddin-siddiquis-film-5959071.html
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/congress-worker-files-complaint-against-netflix-s-sacred-games-for-insulting-rajiv-gandhi-1281621-2018-07-10
https://www.livemint.com/industry/media/if-it-s-a-superstar-he-is-a-south-indian-hero-1551999719784.html
https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/sanjay-dutt-fan-5089427/

2. Evolution
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-23046602
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/a-new-age-of-celebrity-worship/

3. Celebrity worship
https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/celebrity-worship-syndrome-did-you-think-your-celebrity-obsession-might-actually-be-an-addictive-disorder-1208077-2018-04-09
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/celebrity-worship-and-the_b_13794782
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08838158709386664
https://www.livescience.com/18649-oscar-psychology-celebrity-worship.html
https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/rajinikanth-tendulkar-modi-are-indians-prone-to-celebrity-worship-syndrome-2909530.html
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-46984569
https://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/madhuri-dixit-is-a-goddess-sonali-bendre/story-03STVwA3xQITkVjyDi5VXM.html
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/no-more-milk-offerings-rajinikanths-birthday-bash-takes-a-digital-turn-tweets-pour-in/articleshow/62050253.cms
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRNmgcDMb34

4. Political Bhakti
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2014/03/hero-worship-scales-new-heights-india-201432032645330523.html
https://www.indiatoday.in/fyi/story/jayalalithaa-dead-amma-tamil-nadu-chief-minister-354928-2016-10-05
https://www.indiatoday.in/fyi/story/jayalalithaa-dead-amma-tamil-nadu-chief-minister-354928-2016-10-05
%2F%2Fwww.indiatoday.in%2Ffyi%2Fstory%2Fjayalalithaa-dead-amma-tamil-nadu-chief-minister-354928-2016-10-05
https://scroll.in/article/871440/he-who-created-god-is-a-fool-periyar-believed-religion-and-rationality-are-complete-opposites
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/amma-nadu-where-jayalalithaa-equals-god-324593-2016-05-20
https://caravanmagazine.in/media/hero-worship-is-a-sure-road-to-eventual-dictatorship-ambedkars-warning
https://scroll.in/article/874574/bhai-is-not-guilty-dejected-fans-react-to-salman-khans-conviction-in-blackbuck-poaching-case
https://scroll.in/article/755369/man-god-or-beyond-the-rajinikanth-cult-as-seen-through-the-worshipful-eyes-of-his-fans
https://www.huffingtonpost.in/2016/07/04/swachh-bharat-abhiyan-ami_n_10801088.html

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