URBAN CONTRASTS: CLASS, MODERNITY, AND HUMAN CONNECTION IN LAVANYA SANKARAN'S THE RED CARPET

The study explores the intricate themes of class, technology, and interpersonal relationships in Lavanya Sankaran’s short story collection The Red Carpet, which was set in post-liberalization Bangalore — India’s tech-driven urban frontier. Sankaran's narratives explore the tension between India’s economic liberalization and its enduring socio-cultural structures by having a close textual readings and relevant secondary sources, this study highlights it portrays the class stratification through subtle domestic interactions and persistent social boundaries. Further, the insights from Satish Deshpande and Leela Fernandes underscore on how the economic reform in India reconfigures — but does not eliminate — caste and class hierarchies prevailing the society for a long time. The paper also examines on the evolving familial and romantic relationships in light of cultural transitions, with scholars like Meenakshi Mukherjee emphasizing the negotiation between autonomy and tradition, especially for women. In this interdisciplinary approach applied to the paper, places Sankaran’s literary work within larger socio-political discourses which reflects the anxieties, aspirations, and contradictions of contemporary Indian urban life in emotional context.