Hey growing up seeing Hindi films or Indian movies like we call them in Trinidad or like how the whole world likes to call it now Bollywood films I always saw ‘white people’ in them. Usually to me the ‘white people’ in them represented a kinda stereotype of people with ‘loose morals’ things considered quintessential ‘un-indian like’ like showing lots of skin and drinking alcohol (especially girls). Of course the stereotypes world over have been changing and there is so much cultural mixing these days. And let’s not forget that on ‘The Simpsons’ the Indians become Pakistanis and Hindus and Muslims have their religion mixed into a new religion perhaps that is progress for peace so who knows!?
So I probably can’t put my finger any longer on what the ‘white people’ would be stereotyped as in these films anymore. But hey it seems it is not only me who thinks the ‘white people’ are stereotyped generally negatively cause you will hear the British woman on the clip saying how she doesnt know but usually the westerners are portrayed as baddies in the films so…
But yea I always wondered where those ‘white people’ in the films used to come from I think way back in the day they used to get some light skin indians to pass as white when they couldnt get enough of them. And I’ve seen the same attempts to make actors look like they were African in race too. But yep in modern times they have lots of actual ‘white people’ in there and now I know how! Check out the clip! I like Shubash Ghai’s films by the way so I am in no way critiquing the film itself here and you will see the guy covering the story has the same intent cause he does say the film put together looks exciting!
This is just a back door look at how ‘the white people’ come into the films…amusing really…Of course Katrina Kaif herself is half white so…dunno pretty soon the white people might be the goodies and the stars?! Course that is a whole other post about the changing ideal of beauty as a whole in India and the film industry there. But this is just an amusing video clip I stumbled onto from MSN on Slate V and they said you were free to blog it so I thought I’d share it here! So enjoy the clip and if you feel like it drop me a line and let me know what you think of it too …just for so…To me it is interesting how in the end the guy muses about how this is a kinda reverse outsourcing in a way!
Notice in the story they keep going the ‘Westerners’ but to me that is just cause they dont want to bring race into it cause let’s face it…it is the ‘white people’ they mean …and when people say ‘westerners’ do they mean people living in the Western hemisphere of the earth? What do they mean by that? I mean isn’t Australia the Eastern hemisphere? So really they mean race but they don’t say it?
Of course I’m sure tourist seeing this may not wish to be extras again but remember this is just one guy’s perspective and story and to each his own so…of course in India like any places with extreme poverty where people have to fight for survival you have to be careful if you come from a place where such a fight is not as intense due to more resources per person! White people or not…but oh yea then I forgot white people = westerners! 
By the way Sameer Kumar looks exactly like a co-worker of mine that is Trinidadian of Indian ancestry! I can’t wait to tell him one of these days!
BTW since this is not a Youtube Vid Im not sure if it can load here…if it doesnt come up and you are interested in the vid you can go to my blog and see it here: http://booksandfilmscorner.blogspot.com/2009/01/e…
Babita, thanks a lot for this very informative post and video. I saw it on the link you have provided. You know some days back I was wondering about the same question of the "extras" and how do they manage so many white people. This certainly is an eye opener.
Hi Babita & Garima,
Seems, the two of you see quite a lot of Hindi movies ?
As for me, I hate most of them. Trash is what they are…most of them. Cut-pieces of melodrama, senseless fights, sudden song & dance… thrown in at fancy to make the 'masala'. Well, we are entiteld to our views. Some are of course good, but few only.
As regarding getting hold of the 'extras' , come and see/hang around the VT area. You will find a good number of 'whites' (tourists) eagre to get a shot, mostly in the song/dance, backgrounds scenes. Not really for the money, fun may be. There are small time brokers, who get in touch with these shoe-string-budget tourists, they agree for the fun of it and what ever bucks that comes in. Who knows, could even hourber a dream to hit it big time…!
V C
VC where is the VT area? Remember I'm on an island in the Caribbean!
I dont by and large watch the Bollywood films anymore but I like some with the appreciation that they are of a certain genre. I find many Hollywood films are similar thrash too so…but it seems I more and more turned away from Bollywood recently! Like I can't get for instance the whole Katrina Kaif thing and she is the most googled name in India! She cant dance she cant…many things…and the next thing is Priyanka Chopra and the lot on the ZEE TV crazy soap operas that are trying to look more and more like stick figures daily! To me they pretty soon wont need 'white people' extras cause they already look like white people with just a slightly darker shade cause it seems they are striving for that….and the 'Western' modelling agencies and fashion houses wish for this so they can sell their products to the masses…and I guess you all might be aware of the big global outcry the Vogue spread using poor people as models caused!
But for sure Bollywood had some good films too in its time but for sure thrashier these days yea I find…
But like I can't tell you the last Bollywood film I saw and enjoyed but then I realise my multiplex here on the island doesnt show many like they've not shown Yuvraaj neither have they shown Slumdog Millionaire dont know if thats bout more showing films with 'white people' in it and some with 'black people' and leaving out the 'brown people' or what? Or maybe it's the whole distribution process…
But so far I liked Curious Case of Benjamin Button which I saw yesterday and enjoyed Despereaux recently didnt like Seven Pounds although I thought it would be good….before that enjoyed a small independent film at the Trinidad and Tobago film festival called 'Almost Heaven' and you all can see that review here : http://booksandfilmscorner.blogspot.com/2008/10/m…
Hi VC,
I watch a lot of Hindi movies along with English and Bengali movies(a few to name). I feel there is a lot of trash in Bollywood and there has been so in past also. But the trend is shifting now a days with very good movies that have recently come from bollywood. Taare Zameen Par, Sarfarosh, Gangajal, Sehar, Dil Chahta hai,Haasil,Rockford,Umrao jaan,Padosan,Hera Pheri,Gol Maal(old),Abhimaan,Chasmebaduur,Angoor,Bemisaal,Betaab,Damini,
Bandit queen,Monsoon Wedding,Mai Meri Patni aur Wo, Meera Bai Not out, Dasvidaniya, Tezaab,Hero,Sholay,Chameli,Jhankar beats,Shaurya,Jaane tu ya jaane na,Halla Bol,Gangster,Munna Bhai MBBS, Lage Raho Munna Bhai,Arth, Ardh satya,Swades, Bhoot , kaun, Satya, Yuva, Rang De Basanti etc are very good ones to name a few. It certainly is a matter of choice. Sometimes masterpieces come out of bollywood. I cannot also forget part of growing up watching those Hindi movies that used to be loaded with romantic songs etc. It had its own charm sometimes. There is a great diversity in bollywood with lots of experimentation these days.
Hey but Garima many of the films you note are remakes of oldies and the newere ones that I find are good that you state like- Dil Chaata Hai, Yuva, Swades arent really new I mean?
The thrash I talk about is the recent Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra craze…one of the newest Hindi films I must have seen is Don which I guess was just no better or worse if you compared the old and the new…it is just that kinda film…
Oh and I've seen Chak De India after that which I really enjoyed…so that was good…
I've not seen Taare Zameen Par which is new but would be an exception in the newbies I'm sure…
Monsoon Wedding is a Mira Nair film and so not mainstream Bollywood and it is the only one of her big films I've not happened to see but I'm sure is good…I've seen Namesake, Salaam Bombay, Missisippi Masala and Kama Sutra. I find her films good but some obviously won't be shown in India and I often wonder how the actors, actresses feel bout doing some of her roles…I'd be very uncomfortable to do some of her roles if I was an actress but then I'm not. I saw the director's cut version of Kama Sutra on dvd like I watched it then I watched it with just the director talking through how she made the fIlm. And you can see that even Mira Nair herself perhaps was a bit uncomfortable! She also talks abotu how she went thorugh with the main actress the sensitivity of the role etc esp with how nudity would be viewed in India. On the whole I don't think some of the scenes in Hollywood and the nudity etc is often necessary to make good films …you can just as a director find other ways to show it…dunno…
Of course what we view and enjoy is subject to everyone's personal taste etc too…and I think for sure there is a generation gap…and I in my 30s just can't appreciate what the young ones I watching and listening to! Although oddly I love the oldies!
Babita
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on movies. yeah you are right, oldies are good ones. I liked chak de India. You should see Meerabai not out and also taare zameen par, jaane tu ya jaane na. These were good to watch. Absolutely true as you say that unless there is a requirement, nudity does not help much to make a movie any better. About Kama Sutra, I felt they should have been more natural, if anything. It was like the "discomfort" showed throughout.
The actors were good, very good I must say but it could have been a better movie if that notion of being uncomfortable with nudity was not there. Sometimes, especially in that movie's case, when it is required you must be bold and natural at the same time. Other movies I don't know why the heck someone would put that scenes in.
I also liked Lajja and Astitva.
I loved Lajja esp the dance with Madhuri and the others trying to follow her! Was really good!
I dont have time to post more now but have something more to say about Kama Sutra as I saw the director's cut I really got into it…
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