Myth, Marketing, and Media Influence: The Role of Superstition in Indian Popular Culture Through The Zoya Factor

Superstition has significantly shaped Indian popular culture, influencing individual beliefs, marketing strategies, and media narratives. Anuja Chauhan’s The Zoya Factor (2008) explores these themes through the lens of cricket, celebrity culture, and romance. This paper examines how superstition is commodified and manipulated by marketing forces, reinforced by mass media, and embedded in Indian society. By analyzing Chauhan’s novel alongside critical theories of superstition, popular culture, and media influence, this study highlights the intersections between mythology, consumerism, and gender dynamics in contemporary India.