representation of indian culture

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15 stereotypes indians are tired of seeing in western movies & tv.

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Indian culture has been more in focus than ever with shows and movies like Indian Matchmaking and Wedding Season going viral on Netflix. The unraveling of harmful stereotypes about brown heritage, their occupations and their roles in the world is a slow process, and Hollywood has given plenty of tropes that inaccurately describe Indians and their lifestyle. With Indians shattering ceilings in every sector, these need to be done away with, for good.

Hollywood productions (and English language films in general) have to go a long way in terms of representation of identities like the so-called 'brown identity'. While brown-skinned characters from India and its neighbors have been featured in English films for a long time, they often fall prey to stereotypes or appropriation. Even though portraying an Indian character and their struggles might seem like 'Oscar bait', some of the elements in these stories hardly feel relatable to local Indians as well as the Indian-American diaspora.

Actors and filmmakers like Aziz Ansari, Gurinder Chadha, Hasan Minhaj, and Dev Patel are changing the perspective to an extent, portraying characters and writing stories beyond the 'curry-eating', 'mystical and exotic' narratives. Otherwise, with popular shows and movies, some stereotypes can, unfortunately, be formed in the heads of non-Indian viewers.

Updated on 25th October by Fawzia Khan:

Cows, dirty roads and a lack of infrastructure.

More often that not, Hollywood tends to juxtapose the beauty of the West with the "dirty" East. Shots of a sterile white country cut to filth, pollution, dusty slums, and bad roads in India, which is not accurate at all. The biggest metros of India are highly modernized, with expressways, skyscrapers, and the like, but this is rarely depicted in the movies.

RELATED: 9 Best Twitter Reactions and Memes To Indian Matchmaking Season 2 For some reason, cows are always part of these visuals. One would be surprised to visit the country and see that cows are mostly found in pastoral lands and rarely in an urban setting. Slumdog Millionaire is the biggest offender.

Everybody Does Not Work In Call Centers Or Medicine

Indians also tend to be boxed into the professions that they can be shown in on the big screen. Whether it was the influence of Outsourced or other external stereotypes, constantly depicting Indians as call center workers just doesn't work anymore. Still, shows like Family Guy make whole episodes about it (like “Road to India,” for example).

Similarly, the second profession that is assigned to the brown man or woman is that of a doctor. As a people, Indians are very intelligent, but they do excel in several other fields too, which is obvious from the Indian actors excelling in Hollywood itself.

Inaccurate Clothing

Every single time an Indian appears on-screen, in India, they are adorned in elaborate saris and heavy jewelry. This was even seen in Never Have I Ever when Nalini visited Chennai, despite the fact that the show aims to undo these kinds of stereotypes. Weighty gold jewels and silk saris are reserved for weddings and festivals, and most Indians dress in casual western wear like jeans, blouses, and dresses at most times.

Netflix's romantic comedy Wedding Season actually provided an accurate picture of wedding wear too, which was not gaudy and outdated like most other brown-depicting movies.

The Shy/ Nerdy Character

A prerequisite to being an Indian character seems to be awkwardness, which is the gross generalization of an entire population. Everyone in the country is not a Raj Koothrapalli or Jamal Malik — there are Kumars and Tom Haverfords (with his brilliant ideas ) too who have more to their personality.

Assigning Indians the role of the nerd is a thinly veiled way to sideline a brown character, and Indians would like to be seen in leading roles which do not reinforce this cookie-cutter stereotype onto them.

The Tour Guide For White People

Another banal trope role which is handed to Indians is that of the token tour guide to a fascinated white character visiting the country. This guide also doubles as a spiritual guru for said character, often showing them how India can cleanse them.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel typecast Dev Patel into this role, and this character archetype has been handed out to many brown actors, often not even named, in several "feel-good" movies.

Hinduism Isn't The Only Religion In India

In many depictions, Indians are equated to Hinduism. Surely, Hinduism is a major religion in the country, but its diverse landscape also harbors Islam, Sikhism, Christianity, Buddhism, and other faiths. Hence, showing all American-Indians as worshipers of the idols of Hindu gods and goddesses, complete with Hindu-style offerings and incense sticks, is just generalizing Indians under one category.

Further, even with the Hindu Indians, not all of them are intensely devout believers. Just like the generic and dominant American Christian characters in popular media, some might be of stronger faith while some might hardly worship their deities at all.

Tacky Accents

It has been automatically assumed that all Indian accents are more than often funny-sounding and grammatically incorrect. The root cause of this was racial ignorance and the earlier depictions of Indians by white actors (wearing brownface) like Peter Sellers in The Party and Fisher Stevens in Short Circuit .

Of course, the stereotypical 'Indian accent' reached disastrous heights with the character Apu in The Simpsons . Apu was so offensive to the diaspora that even a documentary called The Problem With Apu was released in 2017, dissecting the stereotypes and racial micro-aggressions the character presented. Actor Kal Penn even revealed on Twitter how some studios wanted him to have an 'authentic Apu accent' in his roles! Recently, Apu's voice actor Hank Azaria apologized on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and stepped down from the role.

Romanticizing Poverty

India has a concerning rate of social inequality and poverty. Some films like Lion have tried showing a financially-troubled protagonist in a realistic and empathetic light. But otherwise, foreign films often tend to romanticize poverty (or show 'poverty porn' as some might say) or paint the entirety of India as a backward nation with no modern infrastructure. The Darjeeling Limited , Million Dollar Arm , and many others mock and generalize Indian cities as having nothing but shoddy shacks of buildings and half-naked children.

Indian directors frame their scenes in the backdrops of ruined buildings, crowded streets, and cows in the middle of traffic, but they paint the context as being from a particular area in India rather than generalizing the entire country as an undeveloped urban jungle.

The White Savior Narrative

Movies that deal with the interaction of foreign and Indian characters evoke pity and sympathy, but maybe they can do better with a more empathetic portrayal rather than a sympathetic one. Lion and Million Dollar Arm both depict white characters changing the fates of poor Indians. Both are based on true stories and do justice to their source material to an extent.

However, Indian representation should also involve portrayals of independent characters who can make it on their own, rather than depending on white people all the time. Colonial cultural hegemony is unfortunately still engrained in India after two centuries of British rule. 'Fair skin' is still glorified even in Indian communities, with fairness being equated to a very desirable quality. Hence, bolder Indian lead characters are needed not just to fight the generic white savior narrative, but the racist biases that some Indians themselves internalize in their thoughts.

Bollywood Isn't The Only Indian Film Industry

Bollywood and Hollywood may share scenes , but the Hindi film industry is not the only mode of filmmaking. India produces films in the rest of its languages too, with some modern gems acquiring critical acclaim at international film festivals as well. These languages range from Assamese to Malayalam to Bengali, and so on. Further, not every Indian film is riddled with Bollywood clichés like musical numbers, grandiose sets, and gestures of romance.

Scenes like the final dance to Jai Ho in Slumdog Millionaire and the wedding scene in The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel reinforce the notions that Indian celebrations mostly involve grand, choreographed songs and dances like a typical Bollywood film.

Exoticism and Mysticism

Cults like those in Indiana Jones & The Temple Of Doom , and the spiritual journeys in India as shown in Eat, Pray, Love , paint India as a highly 'exotic' land filled with mysticism and superstitious beliefs.

RELATED: 10 Things From The Indiana Jones Franchise That Haven't Aged Well

The argument against this stereotype can again be explained as the point for India's multi-religious identity. Not all Indians are blind worshipers of bearded mystics and gurus. As of last year, about 2.9 million Indians are atheists (via The Print ), while some consider themselves to be rationalists despite holding onto their religious identity. Otherwise, India is a diverse land of its own, rather than an exotic, archaic, and divine fantasy world of sorts.

There's More To Music Than Just Classical

India does boast of historic classical and folk music styles, having exported maestros like sitarist Ravi Shankar to the rest of the world. Still, such forms of music hardly make their way to the Indian music mainstream in today's times. Film music or independent music usually dominates the playlists of many Indian demographics. Many independent artists are experimenting or reinterpreting foreign genres too, be it hip-hop or electronica.

That's why rather than relying on a 'traditional' sound, films shot in India can feature several new-age Indian artists and their musical styles.

Purposely Complicated Or Inaccurate Names

Indians, Arabs, Koreans, and many other immigrants get mocked for their names that are difficult to pronounce by the dominant citizen groups in the countries they settle. Some even have to Anglicize or shorten their names for the convenience of Westerners. Instead of mispronouncing or changing the names of the people from this diaspora, maybe the Hollywood narrative can make an effort to accurately show some Indian names, as it's not always that difficult.

Even though today, foreign productions do try to accurately portray Indian characters and their names, there used to be Indian characters with names complicated and exaggerated beyond measure. The biggest case yet again is Apu's surname, Nahasapeemapetilon. Older films were even more careless in christening their Indian characters. In Annie (1978), an Indian bodyguard was simply named Punjab (an Indian state, hardly ever used as a person's name).

The Cuisine Doesn't Always Make Non-Indians Sick

Indian food might provide a spicier culinary experience to Americans or English people who are not used to the taste. There's an actual term 'Delhi Belly,' referring to the upset stomach that foreign tourists have when they visit India.

RELATED: No Reservations And 9 Other Delicious Movies Where Food Is The Star

Western portrayals have often reduced Indian food as something heavily spicy or gooey that leads to diarrhea. Such tropes are played around with Jon Hamm and Alan Arkin's characters in Million Dollar Arm . Another done-to-death stereotype is referring to Indian gravy dishes as 'curry'. There are so many diverse meat and vegetable-based dishes from all Indian states that it's hard to categorize any particular Indian dish as a curry. A good alternative to such clichés can be The Hundred-Foot Journey which normalizes the cooking habits of Indians.

Supporting Characters For Comic Relief

Indian-Americans were often shown as shop clerks, drivers, doctors, or any other supporting character. Often reduced to caricatures with the aforementioned accents, they were hardly given any scope for character development or background stories.

However, now, with slightly higher representation, this attitude is changing. Examples like Aziz Ansari's lead role in Master of None and Rahul Kohli in The Haunting Of Bly Manor are helping in giving Indian-origin American and British actors a more nuanced and multi-layered portrayal.

NEXT: 5 Of Owen's Funniest Puns (& 5 Most Memorable Quotes) In Haunting Of Bly Manor

Hinduism in the American Media

They may just be fictional shows, but the often-stereotyped depictions of Indian characters on TV have a real-life impact

By Rutvij Holay

For many of the indian community raised in the united states, including myself, it is a rite of passage to see our religion depicted in TV shows and movies. For most of us, this is the first impression of how the average American seems to view our way of life. Depending on the show, we’re depicted as money-grubbing store owners, nerds with no social life or devout pagans following exotic Gods and traditions.

Some of us ignore these stereotypes, some act like the stereotypical characters, and some shun our culture altogether. Given the influence that these shows can have on us, it is essential that we understand them and their influence, so that we may educate ourselves accordingly. To do so, I propose to group their representation of Hindus and Hinduism into three eras: the Apu era, the Ravi era and the Mira era. 

The Apu Era: 1989

The Apu era, named after Apu Nahasapeemapetilon from The ­Simpsons cartoon, is well known among those above 30, and may be the most publicized example of Indian representation on a TV show. None of the producers, writers or voice actors is Indian. Apu, with the exotic, long last name (which doesn’t follow any known Hindu naming practice), is portrayed as a devout, hardworking Hindu who runs a Kwik-e-Mart convenience store. From this characterization, the stereotypes flow freely. The workaholic (“I work 22 hours a day”) who just nearly missed work because he was shot, is clearly derived from the “model minority” myth, the idea that all Hindus, and Asians in general, are naturally more hardworking than all others. 

Apu is portrayed as a Hindu vegan devoted to Ganesha, and a believer in reincarnation and karma. In part, this all sets the stage to use stereotypes about Indian culture as plot devices, such as in season 7, episode 22, when Apu goes to a party. After eating some tofu hot dogs, he sees a girl with no ring on her finger, and says, “Ah! No ring, I see, so you are only arranged to be married.” A few moments later, after dancing with her, to quell rumors of any pending affair, he promised that he would tell everyone she was “untouchable.” Through this scene, creators of the show implied that caste, and Untouchability along with it, exists in the United States. This serves to solidify the myth of the wider caste pyramid, often used by missionaries to target certain Indian groups for conversion, and defame Hinduism in the process. 

Furthermore, anyone who has firsthand experience with the Indian system of marriage understands that arranged marriages aren’t an oppressive tradition where the girl is destined to be married to a certain man at birth. Rather, the girl can say no to a match, and even choose her own husband, as long as the rest of the family approves. There’s an entire episode in season eight devoted to Apu’s arranged marriage with a girl he hasn’t seen in twenty years. He first tries to escape, but then upon meeting the girl, falls in love with her and proceeds to have eight children. 

Even though the show is inconsistent in its references to Hindu customs—even the same custom, as we saw with marriage—and even though Indians understand this is a cartoon exaggeration, many of their non-Indian and non-Hindu counterparts may not. In fact, I’ve heard a middle-aged teacher claim to students that Hindus “have a caste system that is so bad you just have to get out.” I have no doubt that, for her and many others, shows like The Simpsons played a role in their ignorance. People who influence millions, and who are expected to be far more educated, have also made such claims. For example, President Joe Biden joked that “You cannot go to a 7-11 or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent,” a quip that may have very well been inspired by Apu and his Kwik-e-Mart. 

The Ravi Era: 2007-2015

Many people my age grew up with the TV sitcom Jessie , with its Indian-American character Ravi, one of several adopted children under the care of nanny Jessie. By this time, and in contrast to Apu, representation of Hindus was broadening in both the number of shows in which Hindus appeared and the age groups targeted, so other notable characters emerged as well, such as Baljeet from the Phineas and Ferb cartoon.

As more Indians moved into the IT sector, began to win the spelling bees (every national one from 2008 to 2019), and achieved much more in the US, a common theme emerged in their representation: Every single one of the characters in these shows was a nerd. They did very well in school, especially in math and science, and had little to no social life or athletic ability.

One of the first representations of this stereotype was Baljeet. In season two, episode 14, he signs up for a “Summer Rock” class, assuming it is about geology, before learning it is about rock and roll. This makes him so mad he spends the class doing math. In the end, as he performs a rock song, he yells out the lyrics, “Somebody give me a grade—and make it an A.”

The representation of Apu was universally panned as negative, especially in Hari Kondabolu’s documentary, The Problem with Apu . Having all Indians as nerds in the Ravi era is, in my opinion, a two-edged sword. On the one hand, this is in many ways a positive stereotype, something that people admire about our community, and I can’t imagine many who mind being called intelligent. Such stereotypes inspire our people to be better, to get better grades. From personal experience, I can certainly tell you that it helped my test scores. 

On the other hand, try as they might, there are students in our community who cannot earn such grades. They may feel inferior, since all Indians are meant to be smart—at least according to these shows. I’ve heard fellow students say, “I’m Indian; of course I’m in all honors,” or something similar. Such stereotypes, especially since they are embraced by our own community, have been known to cause mental health problems, making this an important issue. 

At the same time, it may lead to resentment from other communities, who feel that we are unfairly better off. This leads to discrimination both from individuals, and through systemic programs such as racial preferences which favor non-Asians over Asians in college admissions in the United States. 

In terms of religion, I found the coverage of Hinduism in this era far more confusing. In Phineas and Ferb, Baljeet doesn’t talk about Hindu culture much—which is a problem in and of itself—but Ravi does make extensive mention of it. Perhaps the most interesting incident would be in season one, episode three, which focuses on karma. In it, Ravi’s adopted brother Luke plays a prank on him, and to get revenge, Ravi devises an elaborate plot revolving around karma. He warns Luke of “cosmic payback,” in the form of karma, and sets up a series of pranks to make Luke believe that karma is real, then makes him stand outside in the rain as a sort of penance. 

This idea of karma as some form of “cosmic payback” has always been a flawed understanding of karma in the American mainstream. Rather, karma is better understood as an extension of Newton’s Third Law of Motion. However, rather than governing mundane actions such as throwing a ball in the air, karma also extends to moral and immoral actions. 

Towards the end, Ravi’s nanny Jessie learns about the plot and makes Ravi admit that he set up the pranks on his own and they were not some superstitious “cosmic payback.” One wonders what would happen if a similar incident occurred with a central principal of Islam or Christianity—for example, if Jessie made some Rehman or Robert admit that Allah or Jesus wasn’t real. I can imagine that, rightfully so, there would be far more backlash, and the producer of the show, Disney, would be forced to apologize.

Since this show was written seven years ago, much has happened in the US in terms of “political correctness” which has changed the way stereotypes about minority cultures, including Hinduism, are presented in the media, for better and worse. At the same time, during these seven years, in my experience, there has been a distinct rise in hostility towards Hindus and Hinduism for various reasons. 

The Mira Era: 2020

It is perhaps in an attempt at political correctness that the current generation is growing up watching shows remarkable for their increased accuracy and lack of stereotypes. In the kids’ cartoon show Mira, Royal Detective, for example, the characters have Indic names, play sitars and tablas, and celebrate Indian festivals. Compared to Apu, who listened to Middle Eastern music portrayed as “Indian” and celebrated a far more intentional mockery of Indian festivals, it is a wonder how far we have come. 

Unfortunately, the show’s producers have done this is by sidelining Hinduism altogether. In season one, episode 19, on Diwali, there is extensive portrayal of rangoli decorations, divya lamp and other aspects of how the holiday is celebrated. Then at one point, Mira mentions that Diwali isn’t Diwali without ladoos—and her pet mongooses devouring the sweets becomes a recurring motif in the show. But there is not a single mention of Shri Ram and His triumphant return to Ayodhya or any of the other traditions associated with Diwali across India. Delicious as ladoos may be, there’s no doubt that one can honor Diwali without them; yet few Hindus would do observe the festival without Shri Ram, Goddess Lakshmi, or one of the many other Deities worshiped this day. 

This treatment isn’t limited to Diwali. Season one, episode 25, features the spring Holi festival, but there is no mention of the downfall of the demon Holika or of Krishna and Radha. Instead, the episode features a Bollywood-style dance and a parade in which the main activity is the tossing of colors. This includes a dodgeball-like game involving water balloons, something that isn’t even done in India.

All this reminds me of a saying in a Sanskrit textbook of mine:  “Without the Vedas, Gitas and Ramayana , and without the poems of Kalidas, India is not India.” When examining the representation of Hindus in the media in its entirety, then, it is important to acknowledge that older shows such as the Simpsons and Jessie attacked our Vedas, Gitas and Ramayana no doubt, but it should be noted that they did keep them. In that sense, it was a heavily flawed representation of our culture, but it was Indian culture nonetheless.

Mira and shows like it, to their credit, don’t bash any of our religious beliefs, but that’s only because they aren’t there at all. They’ve taken away the philosophy and stories of the Vedas, Gita and Ramayana, and in doing so, there is a strong argument that they’ve taken away Indian culture itself. That they do it to appeal to Western tastes is only more hypocritical, given the emphasis that Disney and other television channels have placed on understanding other cultures. 

I’ve talked with many community members on this issue. Some have said they prefer that producers not talk about Hindu culture at all, if the only way they can do so is by attacking it. Others have argued that showing India without Hinduism is just as insulting, if not worse. To me, the question we need to think about is: in public would we as a community prefer a culture that is attacked, or one that is nonexistent?    

  Rutvij Holay , 15, of Irvine, California, an executive-committee member of Americans for Equality PAC and a budding Hindu political activist, is presently working with his local school district and a textbook company to change how Hinduism is depicted in education. He can be reached at [email protected].

1 thought on “Hinduism in the American Media”

This was a beautiful expose on the complicated nature of our relationship and portrayal in the American media landscape. You’ve done a laudible job of taking us through the various eras. I’ve had a hard time contextualising WHY this era of mira 2020 is so troubling. I think I’d rather be attacked than erased. The issue is that they do both at the same time. They erase our connection to Hindu things like Yoga and Meditation and mindfulness and then they turn around and attack us for casteism and our gods and our vedas/upanishads. As if we are uniquely responsible for every evil on this planet. Disheartening to say the least. But I am glad other young Hindus are talking about it! It means we have hope if our eyes are open!!

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Western media's stereotypes of indian culture.

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Rini B. Mehta, a professor of comparative and world literature at the University of Illinois whose research interests include globalization and theories of popular culture, teaches courses on Indian literature and Indian cinema.

Photo by L. Brian Stauffer

Depending on which films, TV shows or magazines they're viewing, Westerners may be left with contradictory impressions of India - as a nation with a thriving information technology industry, as a third-world nation overwhelmed by poverty and famine, or as a spiritual mecca with an exotic, mystical culture frozen in a more primitive time. Rini B. Mehta, a professor of comparative and world literature at the University of Illinois whose research interests include globalization and theories of popular culture, teaches courses on Indian literature and Indian cinema and co-edited "Bollywood and Globalization: Indian Popular Cinema, Nation and Diaspora" (Anthem Press, 2010). Mehta spent part of this summer in Calcutta filming a documentary about globalization's impact on India's middle class. Mehta recently spoke with News Bureau arts editor Sharita Forrest about representations of India and its people in Western and Indian media.

How is India portrayed by the Western media?

In 1997, "Seinfeld" broadcast an episode that is known as "The Backwards Episode," because the scenes are shown out of sequence. In it the characters travel to India, and there are shots of an elephant and a storyline about terrible heat and George's fear of using the bathrooms.

"The Simpsons" had an episode called "Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bangalore" first broadcast in April 2006 in which Mr. Burns, Homer's boss at the power plant, sent him to India to train some employees. India was portrayed as a very exotic place full of hard-working employees who revered Homer as a god. In return, Homer taught them how to stand up for their rights by forming a union, as if he were imparting culture to the natives in the manner of the colonizers 200 years ago.

A couple of months after "The Simpsons" episode, in June 2006, Time magazine ran a story titled "India Inc.," about India's becoming the next economic superpower. The cover photo showed a woman in ethnic chic finery wearing a telephone headset as if she worked in a call center - and there was a halo coming out of her head. Many Indians found this offensive.

There is a new show on NBC this fall called "Outsourced,," which will be about the culture clash that occurs when an American company transfers its call center and its manager to India.

What reaction do students in your courses have to these images?

When I ask the students in my Indian cinema class - who are part of the post-global generation, born after 1989 - if they think the Time magazine cover is offensive, about half the class think it's not. Among the class are students from India, second-generation Indian Americans and other Americans. A fraction of the students think it's better to be misrepresented than not represented at all.

With the coming of New Age spirituality and industry, people in the West developed a fascination with the spiritual side of India and ideas such as yoga and ethnic chic clothing. But the yoga practiced in the West is not the centuries-old tradition that is practiced in India. They are very different.

The Western media often seem to focus on famines and floods in India or about going to India for spiritual enlightenment, as Julia Roberts does in the film "Eat, Pray, Love."

Are these misrepresentations a new phenomenon?

Historically, in the European imagination, India was a place that existed outside of history. The German philosopher G.W.F. Hegel wrote that India - with its psychology, religion, caste-system, and holy men - existed in a dream-like state. However, India, like every other place in the world, has never existed outside of history as an exotic dreamland. It has had its own complex economic, social and political things going on regardless of whether the West was aware of it.

Interestingly, in the recent film "Slumdog Millionaire," which won several Academy Awards, and in the "The Simpsons" episode, which are disparate media products intended for different viewers, India is inserted into history through the West - through Homer's imparting ideas of unionization to the workers and the Slumdog's escape from his predicament through the "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" TV show.

I teach a course, "Introduction to South Asian Literatures and Cultures,," which focuses on the ancient and medieval period of Indian literature. I begin that course with an essay titled "Ideology and Interpretation of Indian History," which shows that all the things the students are reading about ancient India are read in this way because that's the way Europeans have viewed things for the past 300 years.

Even if we're talking about the ancient Indian past, it is important for us to realize that it has been interpreted in a certain way that influences our way of seeing, and we cannot see ancient India accurately without this awareness.

The Indian epic poem "Ramayana," whose interpretation played a major role in the resurgence of Hindu nationalism in the 1990s, is sometimes viewed as having a destructive effect on Indian politics, encouraging fundamentalism and leading to violence in real life. But even "Ramayana" has been rewritten over and over throughout history, evolving with the changing ideals of the listening or reading Indian public. It is important to read a text like the "Ramayana" with an awareness of this history.

What role does the Indian film industry, often called Bollywood, play in this? Are Hindi-language films changing these stereotypes or perpetuating them?

Previously, Indian popular films had a huge market in the Soviet Union, China and the Middle East but it has only been in the last 10 years that Indian films have reached theaters in North America and the United Kingdom.

Bollywood has never mirrored reality or been mimetic. It has always been an industry of fantasy, hopes and romantic desires.

Post-global Indian films represent a changed India to Westerners, with images that are very different from the ideologies that were seen in films of the 1970s and 1980s. First of all, Bollywood films have a target audience in the West now. And there is, of course, the post-global nouveau bourgeoisie in India that has a different self-representation in mind.

The India that these films depict is often "cured" of its socio-economic problems, which continue to plague the majority of the population in spite of the record growth advertised by the government. Certain problems like casteism, gender oppression, and the continued disenfranchisement of the poor are often bypassed. There has been a conscious attempt on the part of Bollywood to identify with the dominant paradigms of the West, by picking up issues like Islamic terrorism in the post-Sept. 11 era.

Bollywood also presents a picture of the West back to Indian audiences, and there is a new set of characters called nonresident Indians or NRIs that appear in quite a few films every year. The NRIs are Indians who live in the West and are considered part of the extended national family. They show that you don't have to live in India to be Indian. You can be Indian at heart no matter where you live.

Things have been changing but there are a lot of regressive images from the past there, too, that are packaged in a different way. Many regressive practices and ideologies are articulated and sometimes even justified in post-global Bollywood films and Indian television.

A number of soaps that ran on post-global Indian television for years, and had a significant viewership in the Indian diaspora, have been patriarchal and oppressive in an open, unflinching manner. And these images and ideas co-exist almost seamlessly with the representation of a fast growing technological and economic power, often dubbed as the "shining India." Whether this "mixed," paradoxical representation is inseparable from post-global modernity or is going to evolve toward a more progressive paradigm remains to be seen.

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• Native Narratives: The Representation of Native Americans in Public Broadcasting

(Mis)Representations of Native Americans

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Representations of Native Americans permeate everyday American life, ranging from pipe-smoking warriors on cigarette packs to the names of cars, airplanes, and sports teams. These images have a long history originating in early European notions about Native peoples and the Americas. Public media programs, such as episodes of the radio series BackStory , feature discussions on the history of Native American stereotypes. Still other public radio and television programs examine how Native peoples have responded to their misrepresentations in American society.

" Imagined Nations: Depictions of American Indians ," a 2014 episode of Backstory , delves into the history of Western representations of Native Americans and how they "[rely] on the notion that Indian culture no longer exists." The program surveys popular depictions, such as early European illustrations, cigar store Indian advertisements, and the photographs of Edward S. Curtis, to illustrate how the stock images of the Noble Indian and Savage Warrior have continued to define Native communities in relation to stereotypical ways that white Americans perceive them. In particular, the program includes a discussion of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School football team and how the team’s popularity fostered national sympathy for the perceived "noble savages who had been vanquished in the march of Western civilization." The Noble Indian symbolizes a sympathetic and pitiable character who accepts assimilation and the "vanishing" of his culture. 3 Contemporary sports teams such as the Atlanta Braves continue to utilize this image, and their choices to do so are the subject of much debate.

The radio series Focus 580 (WILL Illinois Public Media, Urbana, IL) has covered the debate surrounding the use of Native American mascots for college and national sports, including interviews in 1998 with journalist Tim Giago (Oglala Lakota) and in 2002 with activist Suzan Shown Harjo (Cheyenne, Hodulgee Muscogee). Harjo is a prominent activist and president of the Morning Star Institute, a Native American advocacy group in Washington, D.C., that strives to protect treaty rights and Native interests. She began her career as a producer for WBAI-FM, the Pacifica radio station in New York City, and produced, along with her husband, Frank Ray Harjo (Wotko Muscogee, 1947-1984), Seeing Red (1971-1974), "the first nationally syndicated radio program focused on contemporary Native American issues," according to the Seeing Red Audio Archive. 4 Harjo’s most prominent work has been her fight against the use of Native American mascots, including bringing suit against the Washington Redskins for using a derogatory name and logo. In July 2020, the team retired the mascot, name, and logo. 5 Harjo, who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014, also is interviewed in " Race in the 21st Century," an episode of Evening Exchange (WHUT, Washington, D.C., 2001-2002). 6

Dr. Rosemary Ackley Christiansen (Mole Lake Band of Lake Superior Chippewa) discusses stereotypical images of Native American women in an episode of Wisconsin Public Radio’s 1984 series Current Perspectives on American Indian Women . Specifically, she details how her frustration with the depictions of the Native American princess and the "squaw" prompted her to pursue a doctorate in history. The Native Princess, popularized by the story of Pocahontas, represents the "good" Indian woman and is characterized by her exotic beauty that makes her attractive to white men. In contrast, the savage female, or "squaw," often is portrayed as physically unattractive and hostile to white culture. 7 In Christiansen’s words,

I was very concerned about these funny ideas about what Indian women were. I knew I was not a princess. I was not definitely a squaw [...] And neither was I a girl explorer."

In the same radio series, Choctaw author and activist Owanah Anderson (1926-2017) further discusses how these images and the media treatment of Native peoples do not reflect the diversity of contemporary Native communities.

Native American stereotypes continue to be a staple feature of many Hollywood films. In an interview with As It Happens (KBGL, Pocatello, Idaho, 1980) , Choctaw filmmaker Phil Lucas (1942-2007) and Muscogee Creek actor Will Sampson (1933-1987), known for his role as Chief Bromden in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), discuss their 1979 PBS series Images of Indians (Phil Lucas and Robert Hagopian, KCTS/9 and United Indians of All Tribes Foundation, 1979)

The series surveys Hollywood’s portrayal of Native cultures in the Westerns of stars such as John Wayne and television shows like The Lone Ranger . Lucas describes how historical misrepresentations of conflicts between Native peoples and the U.S. government are perpetuated in children’s cartoons and commercial jingles. Additionally, Sampson describes how filmmakers have typecast him as the stoic Indian by directing him "to walk slowly and talk slowly and have a blank look on [his] face." Sampson, however, refused by saying "No, I’m not going to do that."

Ultimately, Sampson and Lucas "[juxtapose] Hollywood film caricatures with real people" so as to provide non-Native viewers with a more accurate representation. 8

In 2001, KPCC-FM (Pasadena, California) interviewed Kiowa/Delaware playwright Hanay Geiogamah and Miwok filmmaker Greg Sarris on how film representations of their culture impacted them as children and how those misleading films continue to affect their work. Geiogamah describes how viewing Western films as a child in 1950s Oklahoma reinforced for him and his Native friends feelings of cultural inferiority.

We could transfer that passivity that we saw on the screen into our own life situations. We saw that we were marginalized, that we were the poorest people, that we were treated with disrespect, that we were not given any kind of equal status. It enforced those notions that we weren’t worth a whole lot.

Additionally, Sarris, who served as Chairman for the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, identifies how mainstream media further reinforces the superiority of white culture by relating Native stories through the perspective of white characters. According to Sarris, films such as Dances with Wolves (1990) present Native Americans as a "tabula rasa for everybody else’s fantasies about what they want the Indian to be" rather than allowing Native peoples to tell their own stories.

The popular 1960 educational television series Redman’s America (KRMA-TV, Denver) exemplifies this trend. The series spotlights the work of anthropologist Ruth Underhill (1883-1984), who extensively studied Native peoples and wrote a textbook of the same name. 9 The series is unique in that it "represents the combined efforts of museums, universities, anthropologists and the Indians of Americans themselves to give television audiences an accurate portrait of our oldest inhabitants." 10 The portrait, however, is largely conveyed through Underhill, the white host, with only a few interviews included with Native peoples.

Geiogamah and Sarris counter these representations by featuring in their work Native peoples directly conveying their experiences in their own words. Geiogamah points to Sarris’s miniseries Grand Avenue (HBO, 1996), based on his short story collection, as the first time that Native peoples were accurately represented in mainstream popular media. In 1995, on the set of the miniseries, National Native News (Koahnic Broadcast Corporation, Anchorage, Alaska), interviewed Sarris, who remarked, "This film will be the first to depict people who happen to be Native Americans, rather than Native Americans who happen to be people." Native producers working in public broadcasting also have created content that showcases the real stories of their communities. These programs are discussed in the section titled Visual Sovereignty: Native Created Public Media .

Public television and radio programs also have featured Native Americans expressing how these stereotypical images have affected their mental health and how they have created strategies to foster a positive cultural identity. Wacipi Powwow (Twin Cities Public Television, Saint Paul, Minnesota, 1995) highlights how powwows allow contemporary Native communities to come together in order to celebrate their traditional cultures. The program includes interviews with participants from many tribal backgrounds, including Phil St. John (Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota), who describes the importance of the event in shaping his son’s identity as a Native American. Going from an "all white setting to an all Indian setting" supports a positive cultural identity for his son and makes him feel "comfortable being with his own'' community, he states. Dr. Barbara Feezor-Stewart (Yankton Sioux) further explains how the powwow acts as a source of community rejuvenation:

This society is filled with inaccurate images of American Indians, and the images are easily manipulated. So being able to show some sort of pride in our cultures and heritage at a powwow is very important for mental health.

Other programs that feature the importance of powwows are featured below in the Tour Our Resources section.

Non-Native public media producers have increasingly become aware of how their programs either perpetuate or subvert racist stereotypes. In their Peabody Awards entry form, the non-Native producers of Wacipi Powwow expressed a sensitivity to their portrayal of Native peoples. In describing the program’s production, they wanted to resist the "linear [narratives] of mainstream American television" while also making it "accessible to [a] mainstream audience." Viewer response to the program reveals that producers balanced these two goals by allowing Native peoples to speak for themselves. One viewer expressed appreciation for the representation of Native Americans in "a truer light than [one] normally [sees] in the media." Additionally, an Ojibwe viewer commented, "I think there’s a lot of valuable programming about the past, but I think it's really good to let people know that these people are still alive, they still have a culture." 11

Producers of " Healing Woods," a program in the Our Stories series (Maine PBS, 1998), took a similar approach. The program provides viewers with a glimpse into the daily lives of Passamaquoddy tribal members, "capturing the issues [they] deal with on a daily basis, in their own words, without expert analysis or omniscient narrator." 12 In the "Native Americans" episode of the radio series Visions of the Past (KUWR-FM, Laramie, Wyoming, 1984) , host Mick McLean also featured the perspectives of Native participants without the interference of an overall narrator. The reason for the program’s narrative choice is stated explicitly: "[The] media have been guilty of distorting the truth about Native Americans." In the program, Wes Martel, a Shoshone Business Council member, argues that the continuation of traditional spiritual practices allows his tribe to survive despite the forces of assimilation and racist stereotypes.

I think the key to our survival has been our spiritual well-being, has been our culture and has been the fact that our social and our extended family concepts have helped us to take care of each other.

For more programs that explore the representation of Native Americans in public broadcasting, please visit the programs in the Tour Our Resources and External Resources sections.

Tour Our Resources:

Song of the Indian (KBSB, Bemidji State University, Bemidji, Minnesota, 1977-1978)

This six-part radio series discusses the thought, philosophy, and music of Native Americans through informative narratives and examples of music.

Matters of Life and Death , "21st Annual World Eskimo-Indian Olympics" (WNET, New York, 1983)

Matters of Life and Death, 21st Annual World Eskimo-Indian Olympics showcases how modern Inuit communities continue to participate in traditional sports and hunting exercises. The program includes interviews with Inuit competitors as they train and teach others traditional Inuit games at a summer camp. Filmmakers also provide coverage of events, including seal skinning and the toe kick. Daisey V. Domínguez argues that the program is especially important because it "aims to dispel the concept that all Eskimos live traditional lifestyles." Rather, the program highlights how the Inuit of today incorporate modern elements into the games, such as greasing poles with Crisco rather than seal fat, exemplifying "the negotiation between tradition and modernity." 13 The World Eskimo-Indian Olympics continues to be held, and more information can be found on their website .

Lost to the Lake , "Inland Waters" (Wisconsin Public Radio, 1989)

The program focuses on the harvesting of wild rice by the Ojibwe.

Diary , "Native American Minnesotans" (KTCA-TV, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1992)

"Native American Minnesotans," a special episode in the KTCA-TV Diary series, includes interviews with Joe Geshick (1943-2009), Jim Northrup (1943-2016), and Brenda St. Germaine about their Native identities and the work they do to strengthen their communities. Ojibwe artist Joe Geshick shares how he reconnected with his ancestral religion while incarcerated. He now channels his spirituality and cultural identity through his artwork. The program also presents an interview with Jim Northrup, an Anishinaabe poet living on the Fond du Lac reservation in Cloquet, Minnesota. He discusses his experiences as a soldier fighting in the Vietnam War. While in Vietnam, he had a political reawakening and began writing poetry to express himself and his Native identity. In describing his experiences, Northrup says, "After 20 some years of a negative message about my role in society as an Indian, going to Vietnam gave me a chance to prove that I was just as good as anyone else." As a father, Northrup teaches his children through storytelling and observation the importance of maintaining their Ojibwe heritage. Lastly, Brenda St. Germaine shares her involvement as the executive director of the American Indian Development Corporation and her efforts to create business and opportunities for Native Minnesotans.

Main Street Wyoming , "Native American Art" (Wyoming PBS, 1993)

In this interview, Geoff O'Gara speaks to several experts on Arapaho Native American culture about the games, stories, and art activities designed to teach their children about their heritage. Artists Richard Moss and Ambrose Brown talk about the making of drums and war bonnets, respectively, while demonstrating how to build them, in front of O'Gara and Merle Haas, a curriculum designer of Arapaho Language and Culture programs at Wyoming Indian schools.

Main Street Wyoming , "Indian Basketball" (Wyoming PBS, 1994)

This episode follows the basketball teams of the Wyoming Indian High School as they compete at the tournament level. Coaches and players talk to Geoff O'Gara about their experiences and competitive prospects alongside documentary footage of games from January to March 1994.

Listening at the Luncheonette , "Running on Indian Time" (WPBA, Atlanta, Georgia, 1996)

"Running on Indian Time," an episode in the series Listening at the Luncheonette , includes interviews with members of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa at their favorite diner. Over breakfast, tribal members and local Wisconsinites discuss issues such as the tribe’s fight for their treaty-protected fishing rights and the high rate of Native Americans serving in the U.S. military. The program also features footage of fishermen preparing to spear fish, a highly organized tribal activity. In the words of one fisherman, "We’re one of the most documented fishermen in the world. We cannot go out fishing like an ordinary tourist. It’s an honor system." Interviewees recount the harassment and racism that they experienced from white protestors after a 1983 United States Supreme Court decision declared that the Lac du Flambeau band and other Ojibwe tribes had the right to spearfish off the reservation. 14 In addition to these topics, participants discuss their experiences in Indian boarding schools and how they maintain their community ties.

Focus 580 , "Chief Illiniwek and the Academic Mission of the University of Illinois" (WILL Illinois Public Media, 1998)

This program features the debate over Chief Illiniwek, the former mascot for the University of Illinois.

Outlook ; "Growing Up Native/ Return of the Masks" (KAKM Alaska Public Media, 2000)

Segment 1: Varying Native views of contemporary urban life and native cultural life from four native people. Segment 2: Interview with A. J. McClanahan, author of the book Growing Up Native in Alaska on Native identity and culture viewed from before and after the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971. Segment 3: Repatriation of Native American artifacts from out of state at other museums by John Johnson. Also, his other work on conveyance of ancestral land back to Native peoples and development at Nucnak of a Native cultural education center.

En Pointe: The Lives and Legacies of Ballet’s Native Americans (OETA, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 2006)

This program is the latest documentary by award-winning producer-director Shawnee Brittan. It provides a first-person account of Yvonne Chouteau (Shawnee/Cherokee, 1929-2016); Rosella Hightower (Choctaw, 1920-2008); Moscelyne Larkin (Shawnee/Peoria, 1925-2012); Marjorie Tallchief (Osage); and Maria Tallchief (Osage, 1925-2013) - all of whom were born in Oklahoma - about their early training, as well as their experiences as world-famous dancers with some of the best-known ballet companies in the history of 20th-century dance. The documentary is hosted by Richard Thomas, best known as "John Boy" in television's The Waltons .

Louisiana: Then and Now , "Native Americans" (Louisiana Public Broadcasting, 2012)

In this "Bicentennial Minute" from 2012, host Faith Ford looks back at the experiences of Native Americans in Louisiana.

The following programs feature coverage of Native American powwows and festivals held throughout the United States.

Early Indian World (KBOO Community Radio, Portland, Oregon, 1980)

This program includes commentary from the 1980 Rose Festival powwow.

Folks; American Indians (Louisiana Public Broadcasting, 1983)

From the Louisiana Public Broadcasting website: This episode of the series Folks from November 20, 1983, features highlights from an American Indian Celebration in Shreveport; an interview with Jeannette Campos of the Institute for Indian Development; an interview with Mike Jenkins and Larry Pitcher on the Job Training Partnership Act; and tips on preparing a Thanksgiving turkey with home economics teacher Brenda Canty.

National Native News , 1984-12-11 (Koahnic Broadcast Corporation, Anchorage, Alaska, 1984)

This episode features an Ojibwe woman discussing the harmful stereotypes of Native Americans that are prominent during Thanksgiving.

National Native News (Koahnic Broadcast Corporation, Anchorage, Alaska, 1984)

The episode includes a trader on the powwow circuit discussing his experiences selling crafts and other goods. He discusses how children feel freedom and joy in practicing dances.

North Carolina Now , 09/01/1994 (UNC-TV, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, 1994)

This episode features coverage of a powwow held at the North Carolina School of Science and Math and features interviews with participants from nearly 40 tribal backgrounds.

Newsnight Maryland , episode 300 (Maryland Public Television, 1998)

This episode covers the 24th Annual Baltimore American Indian Center powwow. The episode features an interview with the Center’s director Milton Hunt on the history of the organization and the community that it serves.

Celebrating Arkansas III (Arkansas Educational TV Network, 2003)

This program showcases festivals that make Arkansas special, including the Trail of Tears Commemorative powwow in De Queen, Arkansas. The episode features interviews with participants and festivalgoers about the importance of the event.

National Native News , 2005-09-11 (Koahnic Broadcast Corporation, Anchorage, Alaska, 2005)

This episode includes a look at a traditional powwow, Miigwech Manoomin, at Leech Lake, Minnesota.

Magazine Show (Mississippi Public Broadcasting, Jackson, Mississippi, not dated)

Footage of a Choctaw Indian Fair in Mississippi.

Next: Termination, Relocation, and Restoration

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The European scholars who reconstructed early Indian history in the 19th century regarded it as essentially static and Indian society as concerned only with things spiritual. Indologists, such as the German Max Müller , relied heavily on the Sanskritic tradition and saw Indian society as an idyllic village culture emphasizing qualities of passivity, meditation, and otherworldliness. In sharp contrast was the approach of the Scottish historian James Mill and the Utilitarians , who condemned Indian culture as irrational and inimical to human progress. Mill first formulated a periodization of Indian history into Hindu, Muslim, and British periods, a scheme that, while still commonly used, is now controversial. During the 19th century, direct contact with Indian institutions through administration, together with the utilization of new evidence from recently deciphered inscriptions, numismatics, and local archives, provided fresh insights. Nationalist Indian historians of the early 20th century tended to exaggerate the glory of the past but nevertheless introduced controversy into historical interpretation, which in turn resulted in more precise studies of Indian institutions. In more recent times, historians have reconstructed in greater detail the social, economic, and cultural history of the subcontinent—though politics has continued to influence the study of Indian history.

A major change in the interpretation of Indian history has been a questioning of an older notion of Oriental despotism as the determining force. Arising out of a traditional European perspective on Asia , this image of despotism grew to vast proportions in the 19th century and provided an intellectual justification for colonialism and imperialism. Its deterministic assumptions clouded the understanding of early interrelationships among Indian political forms, economic patterns, and social structures.

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A considerable change is noticeable during this period in the role of institutions. Clan-based societies had assemblies, whose political role changed with the transformation of tribe into state and with oligarchic and monarchical governments. Centralized imperialism, which was attempted under the Mauryan empire (c. 325–185 bce ), gave way gradually to decentralized administration and to what has been called a feudalistic pattern in the post-Gupta period—i.e., from the 7th century ce . Although the village as an administrative and social unit remained constant, its relationship with the mainstream of history varied. The concept of divine kingship was known but rarely taken seriously, the claim to the status of the caste of royalty becoming more important. Because conformity to the social order had precedence over allegiance to the state, the idea of representation found expression not so much in political institutions as in caste and village assemblies. The pendulum of politics swung from large to small kingdoms, with the former attempting to establish empires—the sole successful attempt being that of the Mauryan dynasty . Thus, true centralization was rare, because local forces often determined historical events. Although imperial or near-imperial periods were marked by attempts at the evolution of uniform cultures , the periods of smaller kingdoms (often referred to as the Dark Ages by earlier historians) were more creative at the local level and witnessed significant changes in society and religion. These small kingdoms also often boasted the most elaborate and impressive monuments.

The major economic patterns were those relating to land and to commerce. The transition from tribal to peasant society was a continuing process, with the gradual clearing of wasteland and the expansion of the village economy based on plow agriculture. Recognition of the importance of land revenue coincided with the emergence of the imperial system in the 4th century bce ; and from this period onward, although the imperial structure did not last long, land revenue became central to the administration and income of the state. Frequent mentions of individual ownership, references to crown lands, numerous land grants to religious and secular grantees in the post-Gupta period, and detailed discussion in legal sources of the rights of purchase, bequest , and sale of land all clearly indicate that private ownership of land existed. Much emphasis has been laid on the state control of the irrigation system; yet a systematic study of irrigation in India reveals that it was generally privately controlled and that it serviced small areas of land. ( See hydraulic civilization .) When the state built canals , they were mainly in the areas affected by both the winter and summer monsoons, in which village assemblies played a dominant part in revenue and general administration, as, for example, in the Cola (Chola) kingdom of southern India.

The urban economy was crucial to the rise of civilization in the Indus valley (c. 2600–2000 bce ). Later the 1st millennium bce saw an urban civilization in the Ganges (Ganga) valley and still later in coastal south India. The emergence of towns was based on administrative needs, the requirements of trade, and pilgrimage centers. In the 1st millennium ce , when commerce expanded to include trade with western Asia, the eastern Mediterranean, and Central and Southeast Asia , revenue from trade contributed substantially to the economies of the participating kingdoms, as indeed Indian religion and culture played a significant part in the cultural evolution of Central and Southeast Asia. Gold coins were issued for the first time by the Kushan dynasty and in large quantity by the Guptas ; both kingdoms were active in foreign trade . Gold was imported from Central Asia and the Roman Republic and Empire and later perhaps from eastern Africa because, in spite of India’s recurring association with gold, its sources were limited. Expanding trade encouraged the opening up of new routes, and this, coupled with the expanding village economy, led to a marked increase of knowledge about the subcontinent during the post-Mauryan period. With increasing trade, guilds became more powerful in the towns. Members of the guilds participated in the administration, were associated with politics, and controlled the development of trade through merchant embassies sent to places as far afield as Rome and China . Not least, guilds and merchant associations held envied and respectable positions as donors of religious institutions.

The structure of Indian society was characterized by caste . The distinguishing features of a caste society were endogamous kinship groups ( jati s) arranged in a hierarchy of ritual ranking, based on notions of pollution and purity, with an intermeshing of service relationships and an adherence to geographic location. There was some coincidence between caste and access to economic resources. Although ritual hierarchy was unchanging, there appears to have been mobility within the framework. Migrations of peoples both within the subcontinent and from outside encouraged social mobility and change. The nucleus of the social structure was the family, with the pattern of kinship relations varying from region to region. In the more complex urban structure, occupational guilds occasionally took on jati functions, and there was a continual emergence of new social and professional groups.

Religion in early Indian history did not constitute a monolithic force. Even when the royalty attempted to encourage certain religions, the idea of a state religion was absent. In the main, there were three levels of religious expression. The most widespread was the worship of local cult deities vaguely associated with major deities, as seen in fertility cults , in the worship of mother goddesses , in the Shakta-Shakti cult, and in Tantrism. ( See Shaktism .) Less widespread but popular, particularly in the urban areas, were the more puritanical sects of Buddhism and Jainism and the bhakti tradition of Hinduism . A third level included classical Hinduism and more abstract levels of Buddhism and Jainism, with an emphasis on the major deities in the case of the first and on the teachings of the founders in the case of the latter two. It was this level, endorsed by affluent patronage, that provided the base for the initial institutionalization of religion. But the three levels were not isolated; the shadow of the third fell over the first two, the more homely rituals and beliefs of which often crept into the third. This was the case particularly with Hinduism, the very flexibility of which was largely responsible for its survival. Forms of Buddhism, ranging from an emphasis on the constant refinement of doctrine on the one hand to an incorporation of magical fertility cults in its beliefs on the other, faded out toward the end of this period.

Sanskrit literature and the building of Hindu and Buddhist temples and sculpture both reached apogees in this period. Although literary works in the Sanskrit language continued to be written and temples were built in later periods, the achievement was never again as inspiring.

From c. 1500 to c. 500 bce

By about 1500 bce an important change began to occur in the northern half of the Indian subcontinent . The Indus civilization had declined by about 2000 bce (or perhaps as late as 1750 bce ), and the stage was being set for a second and more lasting urbanization in the Ganges valley. The new areas of occupation were contiguous with and sometimes overlapping the core of the Harappan area. There was continuity of occupation in the Punjab and Gujarat , and a new thrust toward urbanization came from the migration of peoples from the Punjab into the Ganges valley.

Indian Culture

Core concepts.

• Innovativeness
• Adaptability
• Light-heartedness

India is home to over a billion people, accommodating incredible cultural diversity between languages, geographic regions, religious traditions and social stratifications. In recognition of this large demographic diversity, the following descriptions are not intended to represent every Indian person. However, there are common themes and principles that contribute to the values, attitudes, beliefs and norms of the dominant society. Generally speaking, Indians tend to have a strong sense of pride in the distinctiveness and diversity of their culture. For example, the country’s agricultural expansions and technological advancements in infrastructure, science and engineering are sources of pride. Moreover, a considerable amount of pride stems from India's rich artistic cultural exports of music, fine arts, literature and spirituality (especially the practice of yoga ).

Geography and Space

India’s geography and climate is incredibly diverse. Northern India is characterised by the snowy mountain range of the Himalayas and the Great Indian (Thar) Desert. Meanwhile, tropical jungles, rainforests, coastal plains, islands and beaches distinguish the south. Nature plays a vital role in India – especially rivers such as the Ganga (or ‘Ganges’) in the north and Godavari in the central and southeast. Both provide irrigation for farmlands, a method of transportation and are considered sacred to many followers of Hinduism.

As India has one of the largest populations in the world, public and private spaces are often densely populated. This influences how the idea of privacy is understood, as it is rarely available, sought after or indulged in. Generally, there is a very large cultural tolerance for crowding. For example, several generations often live under one roof, and it is not uncommon to find animals such as cows or dogs freely roaming public streets and villages.

The buzzing cities of Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Delhi contain a melting pot of rapid economic development and technological innovation, with a notable example being the continually expanding telecommunications sector. Such cities demonstrate India's rise as an economic and political powerhouse on the world stage. This is also represented by the diaspora of Indian people throughout the globe. The large metropolitan cities stand in contrast to the hundreds of thousands of villages and small towns, each containing distinctive microsocieties. Indians can often determine where someone is from based on their accent, language, style of dress and mannerisms. Indeed, it is common to find people having a sense of regional pride and identity towards their place of origin.

Ethnic and Linguistic Composition

Although India does not officially recognise racial or ethnic categories in the national census, it continues to be one of the most ethnically diverse populations in the world. Broadly, the ethnicities of India can be broken down into main groups on the basis of their linguistic backgrounds, the two largest being Indo-Aryan and Dravidian. For example, many people belonging to Indo-Aryan ethnicities live in the northern half of the country. Indo-Aryan languages commonly spoken include Hindi, Gujarati, Bengali, Marathi, Urdu, Odia and Punjabi. Meanwhile, people belonging to Dravidian ethnicities generally live in the southern half of the country. Dravidian languages commonly spoken include Tamil, Kannada, Telugu and Malayalam. These labels of ‘Indo-Aryan’ and ‘Dravidian’ usually serve as a helpful way to categorise the origins of Indian ethnic diversity, although they don’t necessarily reflect people’s personal identity. For example, people are unlikely to describe themselves as ‘Indo-Aryan’ or ‘Dravidian’.

Within these broad language groups, there is vast linguistic diversity accounting for 22 major languages and hundreds of regional or local languages. Most Indians tend to be bilingual or multilingual, speaking an official language along with their regional language(s). English is considered to be a subsidiary official language that is often reserved for governmental and commercial purposes. People who do not share a common first or native language will generally communicate in either Hindi or English. It is important to be considerate of the linguistic diversity of India as many Indians consider their language (particularly their regional or local language) to be a source of identity.

National Identity

The ‘Indian identity’ has evolved continuously over the country’s history as political and religious institutions have changed within and outside of India. For example, the British Raj (1858-1947) brought about vast changes in the country’s economic, political and cultural spheres. India’s independence from the British in 1947 was accompanied by the partition of India and Pakistan into the Republic of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan respectively. This led to mass violence that continues to be a source of trauma and sadness for many Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus that reside in the Punjab region in northwestern India.

Partition reflects the complexities in Indian identity with respect to religion. One temptation is to correlate Hindu identity and values with the Indian national identity. This correlation has been made since British colonisation . However, such a view tends to misrepresent the religious and cultural diversity of India. While it may seem like a useful device for describing a unified national identity, such generalisations perpetuate significant tensions among various groups in Indian society.

Earnest efforts have been made throughout the 20th and 21st century to instil a sense of nationhood and move beyond deep tensions and inequalities. Although tensions occasionally surface and at times have resulted in violence, social legislation has sought to empower traditionally disadvantaged segments of society such as ‘Untouchable' castes (see Social Structure and Stratification below), tribal populations, women and people with disabilities through affirmative action programs.

Social Structure and Stratification

India has a highly stratified traditional social structure, often referred to as the ‘caste’ system. The term ‘caste’ comes from the word ‘ casta’, which was used by Portuguese observers to describe the social stratification of India’s Hindu society during the colonial period. The caste system in India has a long history sustained by complex cultural and religious factors. Although often classified under one term, the ‘caste’ system represents various overlapping systems of stratification.

The large-scale caste system is known as the ‘ varna’ system. This classifies society into four broad categories; brahmin (priestly caste), kshatriya (nobility caste), vaishya (merchant caste) and shudra (artisan or labourer caste). The categories of varna were a normative religious (specifically Hindu) ideal of how society ought to be structured, but in reality was complicated by various factors.

Stigma relating to ideas of ‘purity’ was attached to those within particular castes, and interactions between castes were limited, particularly with those on the bottom tier. The idea of the ‘ Dalits ’ (‘Untouchables’) was a modern addition, popularised by B.R. Ambedkar who was himself an untouchable. This category, thought to be outside of the caste system, was understood as the lowest rank in Indian society.

The small-scale caste system, known as the ‘jati' system, comprises over 2,000 jati categories that determine one’s occupation or vocation based on their family of birth. Each jati is associated with one or more hereditary occupations or vocations (although some occupations are considered to be caste-neutral, such as agriculture or non-traditional civil service). The jati system is particularly noticeable in the daily social organisation of Indian culture. For example, it is common to find people following the professions of their parents, grandparents and so on.

Intercaste Interactions

The caste system is no longer legally enforced, and discrimination based on caste is outlawed. In the latter half of the 20th century, Indian governments assigned jati categories into one of four general classes based on economic, social and historical criteria. To address inequalities among jatis, the government has established affirmative action programs, which reserve jobs, education scholarships and other benefits for historically disadvantaged or persecuted castes.

Many people do not explicitly adhere to the caste system, particularly in urban areas and large cities. However, social assumptions of the caste remain influential on certain aspects of Indian life. For example, the caste system continues to inform marriage through the practice of arranged marriages, which are usually carried out through existing (often caste-based) networks (see Relationships and Marriage in Family ). The caste system is more strictly adhered to in rural areas.

Although upward mobility within the caste system remains difficult, efforts have been made by various jatis to alter the social order and challenge the system itself. The social order is continuously under negotiation, and people from ‘lower' jatis have been known to challenge the social structure by adopting certain elements of the lifestyles of those in more ‘pure' castes. Some examples include abstaining from ‘polluting' or ‘demeaning' occupations, following vegetarianism and avoiding alcohol. Meanwhile, some jatis have been known to emphasise that caste position should be determined by other factors such as economic status, land ownership and political power.

Prejudices based on caste tend to persist, both openly and discretely. Many people maintain a subtle awareness of their social position and those around them. Questioning or deviating from one’s expected role is still relatively rare. When interacting with someone from India, it is worth bearing in mind that the caste system still has influence over one’s occupation, social standing and relationships with others. While it is usually inappropriate to inquire into a person’s caste (in the sense of the large-scale varna system), it is socially acceptable to ask about one’s occupation or vocation.

Collectivism and Harmony

Indians generally place a high value on harmony and unity with others, keeping a strong nexus with their community and relatives. A unified and interdependent community or family provides a support system that an individual can rely on daily. Community groups are often informed by one’s jati. Many community groups, especially in rural areas in the north, have their own regulating system of self-imposed rules to help maintain order and harmony . Such systems are often seen as necessary due to economic hardship or the unreliability of official services. The regulation of rules does not necessarily come from the upper caste; in some cases, lower caste members may lead the community depending on the area.

Indians can almost always trust in their social ties for assistance in virtually any activity. Isolation or seclusion can seem daunting, as group loyalty and assurance of inseparability provides security and confidence. Indians tend to be conscious of how their behaviour may reflect on their family or community. Many tend to emphasise humility and the preservation of their own and collective reputation, dignity and honour. For example, Indians may speak indirectly to avoid conflict and maintain social harmony . People are also expected to uphold their duties, responsibilities and obligations. Indeed, it is common to find Indians abroad sending remittances back to their family in India to provide financial support.

Karma, Acceptance and Personal Choice

Many Indians tend to have a sense of acceptance towards one’s life position or a belief that, due to actions in one’s past life, good or bad personal circumstances are deserved. This attitude partly stems from religious ideas such as ‘ karma ’ (the idea that one’s actions will affect their current or future life) and ‘ samsara ’ (the cycle of rebirth).

The interplay of these social, cultural and religious factors allows people to be accepting of life events and trajectories. However, this is not to be interpreted as Indians being unwilling to take responsibility for life circumstances. Many often contemplate how their actions may impact their future and make decisions accordingly. Some of India's youth are challenging a fatalistic perspective by asserting their free will to choose their vocation, spouse and other life factors. Indeed, as social mobility becomes more common, there is a growing belief that one can change their circumstances.

Modesty and Conservativeness

Indians tend to be quite conservative in most aspects of life, particularly in rural areas. This is especially noticeable in people’s behaviour and dress. Many will avoid speaking loudly or using excessive hand gestures, and it is not uncommon for strangers, friends and some family members of opposite genders to avoid physical contact. It is also preferable to wear clothing that covers the arms and legs; very few people wear revealing clothing. Clothing is usually traditional, but it is common to see Western-style clothing throughout the country for men and in urban areas for women.

Adaptability and Light-Heartedness

The large population size of India has not led average Indians to think of themselves as ‘one among many’ and certainly has not diminished their aspirations. Instead, diversity is celebrated alongside an inventive and entrepreneurial spirit. In this sense, many Indians are very adaptive and creative, often visualising big possibilities for themselves, their people and country. Problems are usually managed in a cheerful, cooperative and innovative manner, along with a light-heartedness towards situations that might otherwise be understood as frustrating. For example, strangers readily help others during mundane tasks such as looking for directions or parking a vehicle.

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Representations of native americans in the mass media.

• Casey Ryan Kelly Casey Ryan Kelly Department of Critical Communication and Media Studies, Butler University
• https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.013.142
• Published online: 27 February 2017

The historical construction of Indian in American popular culture poses serious challenges for conducting research about representations of indigenous culture, identity, and politics. Mass-mediated representation deserves specific attention, as popular entertainment has been one of the most significant historic battlegrounds over the status of indigenous identity in American culture. Representations of American Indians have been reworked and negotiated as they have circulated through a variety of mediums, including theatrical performances, silent films, Westerns, prime time television, independent films, advertising, sports culture, and so on.

Beginning with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show and Thomas Edison’s kinetoscope, introduced the at the 1893 Chicago Columbian World’s Exposition, American mass entertainment has been preoccupied with the drama of westward expansion and the noble savage of the American frontier. Later, the films of John Ford developed the Hollywood image of the screen savage. Film continued to address the topic of American Indians through the lens of the 1960’s and 1970’s counterculture, 1980’s imperial nostalgia, 1990s sympathy and revisionism, and, in the 21st century, through native filmmaker’s reclamation of indigenous visual sovereignty. Not all media are uniform in their portrayals. The televisual Indian evolved quite differently than her/his counterpart in film. At some points, television has been even more progressive in its portrayals of American Indian characters, more willing to feature native actors and storylines than mainstream Hollywood film. Besides film and television, sports and advertising have had the most influence on popular conceptions of American Indians. While commodified images of American Indians are ubiquitous in popular culture, sport culture (mascots) has become the most popular site where Indian imagery is used to generate a profit. Struggles over everything from the moving image to sports mascots demonstrate the importance of studying the power of the image, particularly in the context of American settler colonialism.

• Native Americans
• visual sovereignty
• white man’s Indian
• representations
• colonialism
• cultural commodification
• communication and critical studies

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Indigenous Representation Is Still Scarce in Hollywood: ‘We Need More Native Stories’ (Guest Column)

By Crystal Echo Hawk

Crystal Echo Hawk

Representation is revolutionary. Seeing Native people, who we are today and celebrating us, is necessary and it matters. Let’s face it, Hollywood hasn’t always been willing to see us or celebrate us. From its embarrassingly low levels of diverse representation across the board, to inaccurate and harmful portrayals of people of color, particularly Native peoples, Hollywood has been an accomplice in the institutionalized erasure of Native peoples, impacting how our non-Native children see, think, and feel about Native Americans. For too long, Native people have been erased from history, the present, and popular culture. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and every day, Native and Indigenous peoples live, thrive, and lead across the United States and the world. We contribute to every aspect of society in all 50 states. We are a living testament of our history of resistance and resilience. Yet, negative and inaccurate stereotypes and tropes, and systemic erasure, have informed the wrong perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors towards Native peoples.

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In 2018, I co-led the Reclaiming Native Truth (RNT) study, one of the largest investments of its kind to Indian Country to understand how critical the visibility of Native peoples is to increasing public support on the issues that impact Native communities. We found that the invisibility of and toxic misconceptions about Native peoples create very serious biases within people and institutions which impact everything from court decisions to police violence. Invisibility, perpetuated in pop culture, media and K-12 education, has a harmful effect on the mental health and wellbeing of Native youth. Native mascots, which continue to exist in professional sports and in schools across the country, are drivers of bias and stereotype Native people as aggressive and caricatures of the past.

Popular on Variety

Hollywood and the entertainment industry hold an immense power and with it comes responsibility. Popular film and television has a vast reach, even beyond our borders. The stories Hollywood chooses to tell, and how they choose to tell them, often plays a major role in how people understand and empathize with important social issues and diverse communities. That is why we need to increase the authentic representation of Native peoples and inclusion of diverse storytelling in film and television.

Data from Reclaiming Native Truth found that the inclusion of Native characters in primetime television and popular films ranged from 0-0.4%. Subsequent studies have found very little movement forward on Native representation. In 2020, University of California Los Angeles published the Hollywood Diversity Report which analyzed content from 2018 and 2019. The report found Native representation to be between 0.3%-0.5% in film. In television, Native representation was virtually nonexistent — varying by content, representation was found to be between 0 and 0.6% with Native women being less likely to be represented. The 2021 Hollywood Diversity Report showed Native representation in film stagnant at 0.6%. These reports also found that creative roles, like writers or directors, showed virtually no Native representation.

We need more Native stories. We need characters and storylines that show our complexity, our humanity, our joy, and our humor.

Over the course of the last year, non-Native audiences have begun to see a glimpse of the talent and power of Native creatives. With the release of critically acclaimed Native-authored and centered shows, “ Rutherford Falls ” and “ Reservation Dogs ,” and complex and powerful films like “Wild Indian” and “Nightraiders,” we’re witnessing a revolutionary shift in representation that moves us beyond the outdated, inaccurate, and often offensive depictions of Native peoples in pop culture – to more compelling, contemporary, and accurate portrayals of our lives today.

Americans are interested in watching content that features Native-driven storylines and stories, capturing Native peoples in a genuine, fun and authentic way. Nielsen’s 2020 Inclusion Analytics Report showed the importance of increasing representation on screen as viewing audiences are moving towards and seeking out platforms that offer diverse content. As Nielsen also found, audiences across identities are concerned with the quality of representation programs offer- which means audiences are seeking for better, more positive, and more inclusive storylines and characters.

Representation matters – but the quality of representation matters more.

Our fight for Native representation must include supporting Indigenous and Native storytellers to tell Native stories and increasing opportunities to include Indigenous and Native creatives, characters, and talent in all facets of the industry.

We must demand change and investment in Native storytellers and a concerted effort to tell authentic, accurate, and contemporary stories of Native peoples. Hollywood has a long way to go.

Crystal Echo Hawk (Pawnee) is founder and Executive Director of IllumiNative . Throughout her career, she has been a respected, passionate and successful advocate for the rights of Native Americans with a special emphasis on Native children and educating philanthropy and different sectors of the American public to help transform public perceptions of tribes and Native peoples. Through IllumiNative, Crystal works with a respected team of Native artists and thought leaders in pop culture, media and social justice to advance new narratives for Indian Country in partnership with Native communities and allies that can transform hearts and minds and dismantle the invisibility, erasure and toxic narratives that impact Native peoples today. Crystal Echo Hawk is an enrolled member of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma.

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How 'Lion' explores identity, belonging and cultural heritage

20 Jan 2017 BY Kirsten Geekie in Film Features

An unimaginable true story brought to life,  Lion   is an affecting yet life-affirming human drama about a young Indian boy who finds himself thousands of miles from home. Separated from his family for more than 25 years, the boy eventually attempts to find his way back home to his birth mother.

Lion (2016)

105 reviews

Drama based on the true story of a young Indian boy who gets lost from his family and, many years later as an adult, retraces his steps to find them.

Age group 11+ years

Duration 118 mins

As a young boy, Saroo and his family lived in a rural village in northern India. Reduced to stealing coal to exchange for food with locals, his older brother Guddu would often head to a neighbouring town to find work. One evening, five year-old Saroo followed Guddu and waited for him to finish at the train station. While waiting, he wandered into an empty train and fell asleep, only to awaken with the train in motion, hurtling him far away from home. Terminating more than 1,500 miles away in Kolkata - a strange, frantic city, whose language he didn't speak - Saroo is lost in a seemingly hopeless situation. Narrowly avoiding being kidnapped, and with no paper trail or family name, he ended up in a local orphanage, from where he was eventually adopted by a couple in Australia, starting a new life on another continent.

The first feature film from Australian director Garth Davis, Lion is a film of two halves. Opening with the little boy's alarming journey into the dangerous melee of Kolkata, the first act immerses you in Saroo's experience. Alone and bewildered, the camera stays close to him, following him up and down the train as he screams for help. Deposited in Kolkata, the camera then draws out, revealing his small, vulnerable body set agains the huge crowds and unfamiliar landscapes of the big city. Overlooked and unable to ask for help (Saroo speaks Hindi, while the language in Kolkata is Bengali) he is destined to become one of the many street urchins that inhabit the city's alleyways and archways. Reminiscent of  Slumdog Millionaire 's frenzied, heady depiction of the slums of Mumbai, Lion  puts you right there with Saroo, navigating the dark, murky underbelly of the city. 

Incredibly, Saroo survives the streets, and is sent to live with an adoptive family in Australia. Travelling to his new home in Tasmania, the film allows you a sigh of relief as the camera gently lingers on scenes of Saroo safe in the hands of his new adopted parents, mutely coming to terms with his new life. As he settles in, Saroo is joined by Mantosh, another Indian boy, who becomes Saroo's adopted brother. However, Mantosh struggles to assimilate to his new surroundings as comfortably as Saroo.

Where the first half of the film follows Saroo as a young boy, tossed around by the hands of fate, the second half transitions to 25 years later, with Saroo a university student in Australia. As an adult, Saroo is embracing the next phase of his life, with memories of his time in India lying dormant. Until, that is, at a party, when the smell of freshly made Jalebi - an Indian sweet - triggers old memories. This leads to a discussion of family and identity that comes to govern Saroo's journey throughout the rest of the film. Inspired by the development of Google Earth, Saroo becomes obsessed with retracing his steps back to the family he left behind. Only his long-buried memories can tell him if he is on the right path amongst the countless possibilities in the sprawling geographical radius.

For British actor Dev Patel, who plays adult Saroo, this is a film about love and the remarkable bond between mother and son transcending continents. Through tender memories, we see young Saroo working with his birth mother Kamla in the hills behind their village. The more Saroo scours Google Earth for clues to the whereabouts of his village, the more vivid the memories become, and the more his love for his mother is reignited. Meanwhile, we're shown the quiet dedication that his adopted parents have provided and the deep bond he has formed with his adopted mother, even if Saroo cant bring himself to tell them of his investigations for fear of hurting them and seeming ungrateful.

The film throws light on the sensitive issues around adoption and the motivations of parents who adopt children from different countries and cultures to their own. All the while, Saroo's relationship with Mantosh becomes increasingly strained - not helped by not knowing what became of Guddu. Acutely aware that Saroo's life would be very different if he hadn't been adopted, his memories wont let you forget that it was simply an unthinkable event that cruelly drew them apart.

Torn between two families in two different countries, landscape becomes a defining motif in Saroo's struggle to understand who he really is. Gliding aerial shots of the Australian countryside are compared to the rugged plains of India that Saroo's train travelled across. Director Garth Davis and Dev Patel both spent months travelling through India in order to help them emotionally connect with the story. Saroo's childhood memories revolve around the earthy hills he worked on with his mother, while as an adult he runs into the rugged wilderness of Tasmania for space to think, revealing the innate association he has with both worlds.

This conflict of identity is brought to the fore by a deeply affecting performance from Dev Patel. Through eight months of research, he perfected the Australian accent, travelled India, and even met with the real life Saroo. Similarly, 8-year-old Sunny Pawar is transfixing as young Saroo, despite having never acted before. As a more established actor, Nicole Kidman strikes a poignant chord as his agonised adoptive mother, torn between her love and his needs.

A real story told with raw and absorbing truth Lion is an important story with a huge heart that provokes fundamental questions around identity, belonging and cultural heritage.

Explore the themes of Lion further with our Into Film Recommends podcast below, or  log in to SoundCloud to download the podcast and listen on the go . 

The  Into Film Recommends Podcast Series is also available on iTunes .

Kirsten Geekie , Film Curation Manager

MA (Hons) in English Literature & Film and Television Studies, University of Glasgow with a background in Film Festivals having worked for Edinburgh International Film Festival, Sheffield Doc Fest and BFI London Film Festival.

This Article is part of: Film Features

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Museums in India: Problematising the Representation of Indigenous Peoples

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• First Online: 22 August 2021
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• Kairavi Acharya 2 ,
• Punya Suri 2 &
• Shreya Sen 2  

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My memory is again in the way of your history. (Agha Shahid Ali 2013 : 7)

Introduction

As depositories of national history and memory, modern archives, libraries and museums… help to preserve a collective national memory and thence to constitute a collective national identity, thereby contributing to the conscience collective (Brown and Davis-Brown 1998 : 19)

Museums operate as storehouses of information and knowledge of the past. They act not only as preservers of culturally important symbols, but also display and project the past in a certain light to educate its visitors. As keepers of knowledge and memory, a great deal of power is accorded to museums in the maintenance and representation of history. In the terms of Emile Durkheim, this forms the “ collective consciousness ,” which is “the set of [common] elements which was present in each individual consciousness.” (Némedi 1995 : 43) Given this influence, it is crucial to critique the powers of the museum in order to keep it...

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Further Reading

About Us History Milestones Trustees, S. and Trustees, S. 2020. Home – Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya . [online] Csmvs.in. Available at: http://www.csmvs.in/ . Accessed 27 Feb 2020.

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Igrms.gov.in . 2020 . Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya | <img/> .[online] Available at: http://igrms.gov.in/ . Accessed 27 Feb 2020.

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Acharya, K., Suri, P., Sen, S. (2021). Museums in India: Problematising the Representation of Indigenous Peoples. In: Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51726-1_3526-1

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The Cultural Impact of Indian Bollywood Cinema: From Song-and-Dance Spectacles to Global Popularity

Table of contents, the evolution of bollywood cinema: from its origins to present day, the role of music and dance in bollywood films and its influence on indian culture, the globalization of bollywood: how indian cinema has impacted the world, the representation of indian society and culture in bollywood films: stereotypes and realities.

Exploring the evolution of Bollywood cinema and its influence on global culture .

Bollywood cinema, also known as Hindi cinema, is the largest film industry in the world in terms of the number of films produced annually. It is a cultural phenomenon that has captured the hearts of millions of people around the world. The term “Bollywood” is a combination of Bombay (the former name of Mumbai) and Hollywood, and it refers to the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai, India.

The origins of Bollywood cinema can be traced back to the early 1900s when the first silent films were made in India. The first Indian sound film, Alam Ara, was released in 1931, and it marked the beginning of a new era in Indian cinema. The 1940s and 1950s are considered the golden age of Bollywood cinema, as this was the period when some of the most iconic films were made. These films were characterized by their melodious songs, elaborate dance sequences, and dramatic storylines.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Bollywood cinema underwent a significant transformation. The films became more socially conscious and dealt with issues such as poverty, corruption, and social inequality. This period also saw the emergence of the “angry young man” archetype, which was portrayed by actors such as Amitabh Bachchan. These films were a reflection of the changing times in India, and they resonated with audiences who were looking for stories that were more relatable.

The 1980s and 1990s saw the rise of the “masala” film, which was a mix of action, romance, comedy, and drama. These films were known for their larger-than-life characters, over-the-top action sequences, and catchy songs. This period also saw the emergence of a new generation of actors such as Shah Rukh Khan, who became household names in India and around the world.

In the 2000s, Bollywood cinema underwent another transformation. The films became more global in their outlook, and they started to appeal to a wider audience. This was the period when Bollywood films started to gain popularity in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The films became more polished, and the production values improved significantly. This period also saw the emergence of a new genre of films, such as the romantic comedy, which appealed to a younger audience.

Today, Bollywood cinema is a global phenomenon. The films are watched by millions of people around the world, and they have become an important part of popular culture. Bollywood stars such as Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, and Priyanka Chopra have become household names in countries outside of India, and they have helped to popularize Indian culture around the world.

In conclusion, the evolution of Bollywood cinema has been a fascinating journey. From its humble beginnings in the early 1900s to its current status as a global phenomenon, Bollywood cinema has come a long way. The films have evolved over the years, but they have always remained true to their roots. They continue to be characterized by their melodious songs, elaborate dance sequences, and dramatic storylines. Bollywood cinema has not only entertained audiences but has also helped to shape Indian culture and identity. It is a testament to the power of cinema and its ability to transcend borders and bring people together.

The music in Bollywood films is an essential element that sets it apart from other film industries. The songs in Bollywood films are not just a form of entertainment but also a way of storytelling. The lyrics of the songs are often poetic and convey the emotions of the characters. The music is composed to match the mood of the scene and is often used to heighten the emotions of the audience. The use of music in Bollywood films has become so popular that it has given rise to a separate music industry, which produces music albums and singles.

Dance is another crucial element of Bollywood films. The dance sequences in Bollywood films are often elaborate and choreographed to perfection. The dance styles used in Bollywood films are a mix of traditional Indian dance forms and western dance styles. The use of dance in Bollywood films has not only made it more entertaining but has also helped in preserving traditional Indian dance forms. Many Bollywood films have also helped in popularizing Indian dance forms like Kathak, Bharatanatyam, and Bhangra.

The influence of music and dance in Bollywood films on Indian culture is significant. It has helped in promoting Indian culture and traditions worldwide. The use of traditional Indian musical instruments like the sitar, tabla, and sarangi in Bollywood music has helped in preserving these instruments and promoting them globally. The use of traditional Indian dance forms in Bollywood films has helped in preserving these dance forms and promoting them worldwide.

The music and dance in Bollywood films have also influenced the fashion industry in India. The costumes worn by the actors in Bollywood films have become a trendsetter in the fashion industry. The use of traditional Indian attire like sarees, lehengas, and salwar kameez in Bollywood films has helped in promoting these attires worldwide. Many fashion designers have also been inspired by the costumes worn by the actors in Bollywood films and have incorporated them into their designs.

The music and dance in Bollywood films have also played a significant role in promoting tourism in India. Many tourists visit India to experience the culture and traditions portrayed in Bollywood films. The popularity of Bollywood films has also led to the creation of Bollywood theme parks and tours, which offer tourists a chance to experience the magic of Bollywood.

In conclusion, the music and dance in Bollywood films have played a crucial role in shaping Indian culture and have influenced the way people perceive Indian art and entertainment. The use of traditional Indian musical instruments and dance forms in Bollywood films has helped in preserving these art forms and promoting them worldwide. The influence of Bollywood films on the fashion industry and tourism in India is significant. Bollywood cinema has come a long way from being just a form of entertainment to becoming a cultural phenomenon that has captured the hearts of millions of people worldwide.

Bollywood cinema, also known as Hindi cinema, has become a global phenomenon in recent years. With its colorful song-and-dance spectacles, larger-than-life characters, and melodramatic storylines, Bollywood has captured the hearts of audiences around the world. But what is it about Indian cinema that has made it so popular on a global scale?

One of the key factors in the globalization of Bollywood is the Indian diaspora. As Indians have migrated to other parts of the world, they have brought their love of Bollywood with them. This has led to the establishment of a thriving Bollywood industry in countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada, where there are large Indian communities. These diaspora audiences have helped to create a global market for Bollywood films, and have also influenced the content of these films.

Another factor in the globalization of Bollywood is the rise of digital technology. With the advent of streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, Bollywood films are now more accessible than ever before. This has allowed audiences around the world to discover and enjoy Indian cinema, and has also created new opportunities for Indian filmmakers to reach global audiences.

But it’s not just the Indian diaspora and digital technology that have contributed to the global popularity of Bollywood. The films themselves have also played a key role. Bollywood films are known for their vibrant colors, catchy music, and over-the-top dance sequences. These elements have helped to create a unique cinematic experience that is unlike anything else in the world. In addition, Bollywood films often deal with universal themes such as love, family, and identity, which resonate with audiences of all cultures.

The impact of Bollywood on global popular culture cannot be overstated. From the proliferation of Bollywood dance classes and fitness routines, to the use of Bollywood music in Hollywood films and television shows, Indian cinema has become a major influence on popular culture around the world. Bollywood stars such as Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, and Priyanka Chopra have also become global icons, with millions of fans around the world.

But the globalization of Bollywood has not been without its challenges. Some critics have accused Bollywood of perpetuating stereotypes and promoting a narrow view of Indian culture. Others have criticized the industry for its lack of diversity and representation, particularly when it comes to casting actors from different ethnic backgrounds.

Despite these challenges, however, the global popularity of Bollywood shows no signs of slowing down. With the continued growth of the Indian diaspora and the increasing accessibility of digital technology, it is likely that Bollywood will continue to have a major impact on popular culture around the world.

In conclusion, the globalization of Bollywood has been a remarkable phenomenon, with Indian cinema capturing the hearts of audiences around the world. From its colorful song-and-dance spectacles to its universal themes, Bollywood has created a unique cinematic experience that has become a major influence on popular culture. While there are certainly challenges to be addressed, the continued growth of the Indian diaspora and the increasing accessibility of digital technology suggest that Bollywood will continue to have a significant impact on global popular culture in the years to come.

Bollywood cinema, also known as Hindi cinema, has been a significant part of Indian culture for over a century. It is the largest film industry in the world, producing over 1,000 films annually. Bollywood films are known for their song-and-dance sequences, melodramatic plots, and larger-than-life characters. However, the cultural impact of Bollywood cinema extends far beyond India’s borders.

Bollywood films have played a crucial role in shaping the world’s perception of Indian society and culture. However, the representation of Indian culture in Bollywood films has been a topic of debate for many years. Some argue that Bollywood films perpetuate stereotypes about Indian culture, while others believe that they accurately reflect the realities of Indian society.

One of the most common stereotypes portrayed in Bollywood films is the portrayal of India as a land of poverty and backwardness. Many Bollywood films depict India as a country where people live in slums, struggle to make ends meet, and are oppressed by corrupt politicians and police officers. While poverty and corruption are undoubtedly prevalent in India, this portrayal of India is not entirely accurate. India is a diverse country with a rich cultural heritage, and Bollywood films often fail to capture this diversity.

Another common stereotype portrayed in Bollywood films is the portrayal of Indian women as submissive and oppressed. Many Bollywood films depict women as passive and helpless, waiting for a man to rescue them from their problems. While this stereotype may have been accurate in the past, it is no longer true for many Indian women. Today, Indian women are breaking barriers and achieving success in various fields, including politics, business, and entertainment.

Despite these stereotypes, Bollywood films have also played a significant role in promoting Indian culture and traditions. Many Bollywood films showcase Indian festivals, such as Diwali and Holi, and highlight the importance of family and community in Indian society. Bollywood films have also helped to popularize Indian fashion and music around the world.

In recent years, Bollywood films have gained global popularity, with audiences in countries such as the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. This global popularity has led to a greater understanding and appreciation of Indian culture and traditions. However, it has also led to criticism of Bollywood films for their lack of diversity and representation of marginalized communities.

In conclusion, the representation of Indian society and culture in Bollywood films is a complex issue. While Bollywood films have perpetuated stereotypes about Indian culture, they have also played a crucial role in promoting Indian culture and traditions. As Bollywood films continue to gain global popularity, it is essential to ensure that they accurately reflect the diversity of Indian society and represent marginalized communities. By doing so, Bollywood films can continue to be a powerful tool for promoting Indian culture and traditions around the world.

The Cultural Significance Of Indian Comics And Graphic Novels

India, a land known for its vibrant culture and rich traditions, has also made a significant impact in the world of comics and graphic novels. In this article, we will take you on a journey to explore the cultural significance of Indian comics and graphic novels. From the influence of Sanskrit and classical epics to the works of contemporary authors, we will delve into the linguistic and literary treasures that India has to offer. Join us as we celebrate India’s diverse literary heritage and its contribution to the world of visual storytelling.

Table of Contents

Introduction and Background

India has a long and rich cultural history, with various art forms representing its diverse traditions. Over the years, Indian comics and graphic novels have evolved as a unique medium for storytelling, incorporating elements of traditional Indian art forms. This fusion of modern storytelling and traditional art has created a vibrant and distinct comic book culture in India.

Evolution of Indian comics and graphic novels

The origins of Indian comics can be traced back to the early 20th century when artists like R.K. Laxman and Pran Kumar Sharma began experimenting with comic strips in newspapers. These early pioneers laid the foundation for the development of Indian comics, which soon gained popularity among young readers.

The 1960s witnessed a significant shift in the Indian comic book landscape with the emergence of iconic characters like Chacha Chaudhary and Suppandi. The success of these characters paved the way for the establishment of comic book publishing houses, such as Amar Chitra Katha and Raj Comics, that produced original Indian content.

Influence of traditional Indian art forms

Indian comics and graphic novels have been heavily influenced by traditional Indian art forms, such as miniature paintings, Madhubani art, and Tanjore paintings. Artists have seamlessly integrated these art forms into their illustrations, giving the comics a unique and visually appealing aesthetic.

The use of vibrant colors, intricate details, and stylized imagery in Indian comics reflects the influence of these traditional art forms. This connection to cultural heritage has not only enhanced the visual appeal of Indian comics but also helped preserve and promote traditional art forms among the younger generation.

The Role of Comics and Graphic Novels in Indian Culture

Comics and graphic novels play a significant role in Indian culture, serving as a medium for preserving oral traditions, promoting social issues, and reflecting political and societal changes.

Preserving oral traditions and mythology

Indian mythology and folklore have been passed down through generations via oral traditions. Comics and graphic novels have played a crucial role in preserving these stories and making them accessible to a wider audience. Through vivid illustrations and engaging narratives, myths and legends are brought to life, ensuring that the rich cultural heritage of India is not lost.

Works like Amar Chitra Katha have been instrumental in introducing young readers to the epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, as well as the stories of great historical figures like Ashoka and Akbar. These comics have not only entertained readers but also educated them about India’s ancient history and cultural traditions.

Promoting social issues and awareness

Indian comics and graphic novels have also been a powerful platform for addressing social issues and raising awareness about important topics. Comics such as “Kari” by Amruta Patil and “Priya’s Shakti” by Ram Devineni have tackled issues like gender equality, LGBTQ rights, and violence against women.

These comics use the universal language of visuals and storytelling to create empathy and understanding among readers. They provide a safe space for conversations on sensitive topics and have the potential to challenge social norms and bring about positive change.

Reflecting political and societal changes

Indian comics and graphic novels have become a mirror that reflects the changing landscape of politics and society. They often serve as a commentary on current events and shed light on the social, cultural, and political issues India faces.

Works like “Delhi Calm” by Vishwajyoti Ghosh and “River of Stories” by Orijit Sen have explored themes of political unrest, social inequality, and environmental degradation. These graphic novels not only entertain readers but also provide a platform for critical thinking and reflection on the state of the nation.

Religious and Mythological Representation

Indian comics and graphic novels have a strong affinity towards religious and mythological themes. They have beautifully depicted Hindu gods and goddesses, reimagined ancient Indian mythology, and created new narratives based on religious folklore.

Depiction of Hindu gods and goddesses

Indian comics have brought Hindu gods and goddesses to life through stunning visuals and compelling storytelling. Characters like Lord Shiva, Lord Krishna, and Goddess Durga have been portrayed with reverence, capturing their divine attributes and mythical personalities.

Comics have made these divine figures accessible to a wider audience, creating a sense of familiarity and allowing readers to connect with their spiritual roots. The depictions in comics often showcase the intricate details of Hindu deities, their avatars, and their epic battles against evil.

Adaptation of ancient Indian mythology

Indian comics have also adapted ancient Indian mythology, presenting new interpretations and expanding on existing narratives. Comics like “Ravanayan” by Vijayendra Mohanty and “Aranyaka” by CG Salamander have breathed new life into characters like Ravana and the mythical creatures of Indian folklore.

These adaptations not only serve as a means of retelling myths but also encourage readers to delve deeper into Indian mythology and discover lesser-known tales. By reimagining the stories, comics ignite the imagination and foster a renewed interest in the cultural heritage of India.

Regional Diversity in Indian Comics

India is a land of diverse languages, cultures, and traditions. This diversity is reflected in the world of Indian comics, with each region boasting its distinct art styles, storytelling techniques, and folklore.

Comics from different states and languages

Comics in India are not limited to one language or region. Different states have their own comic book industries, producing content in regional languages such as Bengali, Tamil, Malayalam, and Marathi. These comics explore regional themes, traditions, and legends, catering to the specific cultural nuances of each state.

For example, the Bengali comic book industry has given rise to iconic characters like Batul the Great and Handa Bhonda, while the Tamil comic industry has seen the popularity of characters like Suppandi and Anbu Mani.

Regional folktales and legends

Indian comics have also been a platform for showcasing regional folktales and legends. Comics like “Amar Bari Tomar Bari Naxalbari” by Srijit Mukherji and “Ekalavya” by Bharath Murthy have beautifully portrayed the local stories and traditions of specific regions in India.

By highlighting these folktales, comics not only entertain readers but also create a sense of pride and appreciation for the regional cultures and histories of India. They bring to life characters and stories that may otherwise be forgotten, ensuring that regional diversity remains an integral part of Indian comic book culture.

Popular Indian Superheroes and Characters

Indian comics have also given rise to a range of iconic superheroes and characters who have become beloved figures in Indian popular culture. These characters have not only captured the imagination of readers but also represented Indian cultural values and aspirations.

The emergence of iconic Indian superheroes

The Indian comic book industry has seen the emergence of several iconic superheroes who have become household names. Characters like Nagraj, Super Commando Dhruva, and Doga from Raj Comics, and Shaktiman from Diamond Comics have become symbols of strength, courage, and justice.

These superheroes often draw inspiration from Indian mythology, incorporating elements from Hindu epics and legends. They have resonated with Indian readers, providing them with relatable figures who embody the values and ideals cherished by Indian society.

Representation of Indian cultural values

Indian comics have not only introduced superheroes but also portrayed ordinary characters who reflect the cultural values and ethos of Indian society. Characters like Chacha Chaudhary, Billoo, and Tenali Raman depict the simplicity, wit, and resilience of the common Indian people.

These characters have become cultural icons, representing the virtues of honesty, integrity, and humor. They connect with readers of all ages, transcending generations and reminding us of the timeless values that are cherished in Indian society.

Comic Conventions and Fan Culture in India

Comic conventions have gained immense popularity in India, providing a platform for fans to come together, celebrate their love for comics, and interact with their favorite artists and creators.

The growth of comic conventions in major cities

Over the years, comic conventions like Comic Con India and Bangalore Comic Con have witnessed exponential growth in major cities across the country. These conventions bring together fans, artists, cosplayers, and industry professionals under one roof, creating a vibrant and exciting atmosphere.

Attendees can explore a plethora of comic book merchandise, attend panel discussions and workshops, and get the chance to meet their favorite artists and collect autographs. The increasing popularity of these conventions is a testament to the growing fan culture surrounding Indian comics.

Cosplay and fandom in Indian comic culture

Cosplay has become an integral part of Indian comic culture, with fans showcasing their creativity and passion by dressing up as their favorite comic book characters. Cosplay competitions held at comic conventions provide a platform for fans to showcase their costumes and talents, fostering a sense of camaraderie among the community.

The fan culture surrounding Indian comics has created a supportive and enthusiastic community. Online forums, fan art, and fan fiction have flourished, allowing fans to connect, share their love for comics, and engage in creative collaborations.

Crossovers with Indian Cinema and TV

Indian comics have not only made their mark in print but also transitioned to the big screen and television. Several comic book adaptations have been made, bringing Indian superheroes and stories to a wider audience.

Adaptation of comics into movies and TV shows

Comics like “Super Commando Dhruva” and “Nagraj” from Raj Comics have been adapted into animated movies and television series. These adaptations have introduced a new generation of viewers to Indian comics and exposed them to the rich and diverse world of Indian superheroes.

The success of movies like “Baahubali” and “Krrish” has proven that Indian audiences are eager to see their favorite comics come to life on the big screen. The visual spectacle and larger-than-life characters of comics have translated well into the cinematic medium, captivating audiences across the country.

Successes and challenges in the transition medium

While the transition from comics to movies and TV shows has had its share of successes, it has also posed challenges for Indian creators. Adapting complex storylines and visually striking artwork into a different medium requires careful consideration and artistic interpretation.

However, with advancements in technology and the increasing popularity of superhero movies, Indian comics have a unique opportunity to reach a wider global audience. The success of movies like “Black Panther” and “Wonder Woman” has shown that diverse superhero narratives can resonate with audiences worldwide.

Influence of Japanese Manga and American Comics

Indian comics have not only been influenced by traditional Indian art forms but also by the international comic book industry, particularly Japanese manga and American comics.

The impact of international comics on Indian creators

Japanese manga has had a significant impact on Indian comics, with its distinct storytelling techniques and visual style inspiring many Indian creators. The influence of manga can be seen in the use of dynamic panel layouts, exaggerated expressions, and vibrant action sequences in Indian comics.

Similarly, American comics have also influenced Indian creators, particularly in terms of character design, narrative structure, and superhero motifs. The popularity of American superheroes like Spider-Man, Batman, and Superman has fueled the imagination of Indian creators, inspiring them to create their own unique superheroes.

Collaborations and inspirations

Indian comic creators have also collaborated with international artists, fostering cross-cultural exchanges and inspiring new ideas. These collaborations have resulted in innovative storytelling techniques, blending the best aspects of Indian and international comics.

Indian comics have found new avenues for growth and exposure through collaborations with international publishing houses. This exchange of ideas and artistic influences has further enriched the comic book landscape in India, creating a diverse and dynamic industry.

Challenges Faced by Indian Comics Industry

While Indian comics have made significant strides, they face several challenges that hinder their growth and wider recognition.

Limited distribution and reach

One of the major challenges faced by the Indian comics industry is limited distribution and reach. Compared to international comics, Indian comics often struggle to reach a wider audience due to limited marketing and distribution networks. Accessibility issues and lack of awareness restrict the reach of Indian comics, preventing them from achieving their full potential.

Efforts are being made to overcome these challenges by partnering with e-commerce platforms, digital publishers, and libraries to increase the accessibility and availability of Indian comics. The rise of online platforms has provided a new avenue for Indian creators to showcase their work and connect with readers globally.

Competition from international imports

The Indian comics industry faces fierce competition from international imports, which have a strong presence in the Indian market. International comics, with their established characters and global appeal, often overshadow the homegrown Indian comics, making it challenging for local creators to gain recognition and compete on an equal footing.

However, Indian comics have the advantage of a rich cultural heritage and unique storytelling traditions that set them apart. By embracing this distinct identity and reaching out to a wider audience, Indian comics can carve a niche for themselves and overcome the challenges posed by international competition.

The Future of Indian Comics and Graphic Novels

Despite the challenges, the future of Indian comics and graphic novels looks promising, with several emerging trends and advancements on the horizon.

Emerging trends and advancements

The digital revolution has opened up new opportunities for Indian comics, with digital platforms providing a global stage for creators to showcase their work. Webcomics, mobile apps, and online publishing have democratized the industry, allowing independent creators to gain recognition and build a dedicated following.

Moreover, technological advancements, such as augmented reality and virtual reality, have the potential to revolutionize the reading experience and bring comics to life in new and exciting ways. These advancements can enhance the visual storytelling capabilities of Indian comics and offer readers immersive and interactive experiences.

Digital platforms and online publishing

Digital platforms and online publishing have become the preferred medium for many Indian comic creators. These platforms provide a cost-effective and accessible way to distribute and monetize comics, reaching a global audience with ease.

Additionally, online communities and social media platforms have enabled creators to connect directly with their fans, receive feedback, and build supportive networks. This direct interaction between creators and fans fosters community engagement and encourages the growth of the Indian comics industry.

As technology continues to evolve and the demand for diverse storytelling grows, Indian comics and graphic novels are poised to flourish and make a lasting impact on the global comic book landscape.

In conclusion, Indian comics and graphic novels have become an integral part of Indian culture, preserving traditional art forms, promoting social issues, and reflecting the changing dynamics of society. With their unique storytelling techniques, vibrant visuals, and diverse characters, Indian comics have captured the imagination of readers, both young and old. Despite the challenges they face, the future of Indian comics looks promising, with advancements in technology and the growing popularity of digital platforms paving the way for a vibrant and thriving industry. Indian comics are poised to make a significant impact, not only within the Indian subcontinent but also on the global stage.

Indian Culture Team

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Map showing the cultural diversification of India. All efforts have been made to make this image accurate. However Mapping Digiworld Pvt Ltd and its directors do not own any responsibility for the correctness or authenticity of the same. Indian Culture Ajanta Caves Ellora Caves Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram Sun Temple, Konark Kaziranga National Park Keoladeo National Park Manas Wildlife Sanctuary Churches and Convents of Goa Fatehpur Sikri Group of Monuments at Hampi Khajuraho Group of Monuments Elephanta Caves Great Living Chola Temples Group of Monuments at Pattadakal Sunderbans National Park Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Park Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi Humayun's Tomb, Delhi Qutub Minar and its Monuments, Delhi Mountain Railways of India Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka Champaner - Pavagadh Archeological Park Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Red Fort Complex The Jantar Mantar, Jaipur Western Ghats Hill Forts of Rajasthan Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area Rani-ki-Vav, Patan, Gujarat Archeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara at Nalanda, Bihar Khangchendonga National Park The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement Historic City of Ahmedabad Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai Jaipur City, Rajasthan Places to Celebrate Holi India Dress India Dance Five Takhts Destinations Indian Languages Maithili Language Indian Women Languages of India Religions in India Religious Places Jyotirlinga Shrines Crafts in North Zone Crafts in South Zone Crafts in East Zone Crafts in West Zone Crafts in North East Zone Crafts in Central Zone Educational Institutions Indian Universities Dental Colleges Recognized Medical Colleges Schools of Architecture Youth Hostels Geography of India Economy of India Culture of India Languages in India National Symbols Indian Railways Delhi Metro Map Airports in India Ports in India Konkan Railway Andhra Pradesh West Bengal Madhya Pradesh Uttarakhand Top Ten Cities in India Tourist Places in India Historical Places Taj Mahal India Hill Stations in India Beaches in India Wildlife Sanctuaries Monuments of India Custom Maps GIS Services On this Day in History Current Events Archive India Events I Know My India Game Digital India Make in India Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana Atal Pension Yojana Swachh Bharat Abhiyan PM Awas Yojana Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana Upcoming Elections in India Distance Calculator India Flight Schedule Railway Time Table Driving Direction Maps Bus Schedule MCD Delhi Circle Rate International Flights Schedule Villages in India Business Listing Understanding the Significance of Diwali as a Representation of the Indian Culture Research Paper To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block As a source of information (ensure proper referencing) As a template for you assignment Introduction Usual diwali celebration style, diwali celebrations in other countries, the european and australian diwali, festival celebration in usa and canada, diwali in other parts of the world, incorporating diwali in other traditions, works cited. India is a beautiful country. It has unique festivals one of which is Diwali, otherwise known as Deepavali, the festival of lights. This festival is undoubtedly the most popular of the Hindu festivals. Like most of the festivals celebrated mainly by Hindus, Diwali has a mythology and a historical basis behind it. Legend stories purport that Hanuman, the monkey god, crucial devotee of Lord Rama, brought the long-awaited message, declaring Rama’s return to his kingdom following an exile of fourteen years. People refer the festival to as the festival of Sweets. Giving sweets is an activity that has become a tradition in these celebrations. Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains celebrate the festival that lasts for five days. The dates vary based on the Indian lunar calendar (Robinson 123). The celebration has extended outside India to the Diaspora. It is a mainstream in Britain and countries like Indonesia, the United States, Malaysia, and Singapore. They have incorporated the festival in their local traditions (Robinson 123). Besides eating Indian food, most people outside India are still unfamiliar with the usual Diwali food. The most common food during this celebratory period is sharing and eating sweets. Indians and other people celebrating the festival eat plenty of sweets during that time. They also prepare confectioneries, desserts and sweetmeats, which come between snacks that people eat all the time. The sweetmeats or ‘Mithai’, as popularly known, are the most common and the favorite foodstuffs. It is hence the foods, which capture Indian cookery psyche outside India. In India, it is customary for family members and friends to come together in the celebration. They also exchange gifts. In most cases, they exchange sweets, candy, dried fruits, and other snacks (Robinson 124). People dress up well for the occasion. They share, and exchange gifts of clothes and perfumes as customary activities. Since Diwali is significant to Indians as Christmas is for Christians, its celebration is extremely essential. During this celebration, people have their homes lit up with candles. They decorate the streets and businesses with lights. Hindus in other parts of the world celebrate Diwali in a unique way. In the South East Asia, and Indian populations elsewhere in the world, people celebrate the Diwali somewhat differently. Where the Hindus are fewer, they only put on lights and celebrate it in their homes. On the other hand, when they are many, they take the celebration seriously. The Indians make the celebration seem like a tremendous cultural scene. The United Kingdom has a well-established Indian demography, which allows the country to conduct bigger public events (Richman 67). Since there are many Indians in Australia and Europe, people conduct the large-scale Diwali events like carnivals and fairs in cities. In Australia, the celebrations are common in Melbourne and Sydney. In the United Kingdom, they are mainly in London (Richman 67). Featuring in these events are fabulous firework displays, public music and dance performances, stalls that provide services mainly painting henna, stalls selling assorted Diwali sweets, herbs, savories, and people often burning an effigy of the demon King Ravana (Plum-Ucci 12). People also dress up nicely for the occasion with women wearing their best jewels and silk outfits. Some put on mehendi, temporary decorations of henna on their palms. Since people also refer the celebration to as the celebration of lights, they light various lights: candles, and lanterns, at the event, in houses and even around homes (Plum-Ucci 17). The women present sweets on shiny, silver trays and garnish the dishes with candlelights called diyas and some time with jewels and flower petals (Plum-Ucci 55). The Indians in Britain are usually enthusiastic about this festival (Richman 69). They clean their homes, decorating them with lights, mainly candles and lamps. The most salient part is that they also exchange gifts. This tradition goes back to the harvest time when people could offer gifts of their harvest. Today, they give sweets. The common sweets are barfis and laddoos. Different Hindu communities come together in a central place like in London for the celebrations (Richman 69). As the event has become more popular, people have observed non-Indians also joining the Diwali festivals. Sometimes the festival of light falls on same dates as the British Bonfire Night on fifth of November. This inspires joint celebrations, which are thrilling (Richman 71). In Australia, Diwali is not a public holiday recognized across the country. Nonetheless, there is always traffic during the event. Parking places remain fully parked during the period of holding the event. Most Indians close their businesses for the celebrations. Their Indian community has sent a request to make Diwali a public holiday in the country. In Australia, it is customary for families and friends to share and exchange gifts. In most cases, these gifts are sweets, dried fruits and candy. However, during the main festivity, elaborate food takes center stage. There is also exchange of perfumes, clothes and soaps as gifts. Other appropriate gifts are lamps, candle stands and fireworks. All the communities with Indian populations, or those who identify themselves as Hindus, always celebrate the festival of lights (Plum-Ucci 18). The celebrations here are mostly in homes. In Canada, some families organize trips to Niagara Falls in Ontario where the festival of lights takes place. This often happens because the winter festival and Diwali often fall on the same dates (Coward, Hinnells, and Williams 232). This Niagara festival is usually a spectacular event with an amazing display of lights and fireworks. There is usually adequate entertainment for families ranging from food, music and dance among other activities (Khandelwa 61). In America, there are some cities with large populations of Indians and Asians. Hence, these communities sponsor large Diwali events (Shah 43). For instance, Cupertino in California has set a day aside for which the celebration of lights takes place. There is usually, music and dance, cultural performances, foods and gift vending and many other forms of entertainment in cities (Coward, Hinnells, and Williams 232). In cities, where there are diverse populations, people honor the event. The celebrations take place in Hindu temples like New York (Khandelwa 61), Phoenix, Chicago and Minneapolis. These communities still honor the celebration of lights by lighting up their houses just to celebrate the victory of Rama against demon king Ravana (Torpe 7). This symbolizes the victory of light over darkness (Plum-Ucci 23). Hindus believe that, during this day, the goddess of happiness roams the earth during the day of celebrating Diwali. She looks for the purest, cleanest and brightest house, which she enters. It is apparent that the celebration differs in different parts of the world. However, they maintain the general spiritual meaning. That is to increase awareness of the inner light. In Asia, especially Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, people celebrate Diwali by placing lamps and candles on banana leaves together with coins and incense sticks. People then float these lights on a river. The view of thousands of candles along a river is always spectacular during the evening of the Diwali celebrations. In Thailand, one can describe the Diwali celebration as insanely huge. They refer it to as Lam Kriyongh. In Singapore, people refer the celebration to as ‘Deepavali’. The government recognizes it as a public holiday. Its uniqueness is that, a light-up Little India District typically marks it. The celebration is almost as Diwali customs in India where people come out exchange gifts, have merry performances. Distribution of sweets is the best part of the celebration, as it involves the giving out of sweets of different types. In Nepal, people refer Diwali to as ‘Swanti’ or ‘Tihar’. The celebrations last for five days just like in the other countries though traditions done during the celebration slightly vary from those done in India. People decorate the entire country with various lights and lamps in celebration of victory of Rama (Torpe 8). Women prepare exceptional foodstuffs especially sweets of different forms for making this festivity (Ganeshram, and Velloti 135). There are also lively performances, fireworks and crackers everywhere. In Mauritius, Africa, people celebrate the event with considerable passion. It has been an age-old custom. The native believe the celebration begun even before the return of Lord Rama (Plum-Ucci 6). Diwali here holds a distinct significance for the natives for the coronation of Rama as King. People celebrate by lighting earthen lamps in lines that make images and they worship Lakshmi (Torpe 6), the goddess of earth (Shah 41). They also burn crackers to scare the evil spirits roaming the earth. In the western nations, Diwali celebrations are evidently not as typical as they are in India. There are often some little variations from the traditional way of celebration (Shah 41). In most cases, the elements of the Hindu culture, which may relate to Diwali, are also present in the celebration to highlight Indian customs and culture. Dances and songs prevalent in Hindu culture often find their way into the celebrations (Khandelwa 61). For example, it is not a surprise to find men and women performing the ‘Dandiya Rasa’ dance in Diwali celebration outside India. This dance features wooden sticks. Besides, in other places, one has to see Punjabi Bhangra songs and Bhangra dances that people perform during the festival of light (Coward, Hinnells, and Williams 233). The dance and songs date back to the eleventh century. During that time, the Punjabi farmers would celebrate the coming of the harvest season by dancing to Bhangra folk dance. The Punjabi musicians who have travelled to western countries popularized the folk dance hence causing the dance to be a popular culture in certain aspects of the western society. Bhangra is currently popular in the United Kingdom and Canada. Because of the zeal to popularize the Indian culture during such fairs and festivities, there are numerous Indian merchandise also sold during these events besides the food not related to the festival (Khandelwa 61). Therefore, the festival of lights in countries abroad forms a frightfully convincing way of knowing the Indian culture and understanding Hindu religion. In fact, some places the celebration is all about getting to know the Indian tradition. The Diwali is a prominent religious celebration for three religious groups – the third largest celebration in the world (Torpe 4). Buddhists, Hindus, and Jains celebrate it. The festival is becoming more popular across the worlds, as more people from different nationalities, ethnicities, and races join in the festivals (Khandelwa 62). When joining a Diwali festival, it is indispensable to expect more than just gifts. There is usually colorful pomp with elaborate meals, singing and dancing, as well as many other activities associated with the culture. The goal of Diwali is to teach a tremendously significant lesson to everyone. That ‘good’ always triumphs over ‘evil’ the same way Lord Rama won the battle (Torpe 4). The festival reminds people of the importance of thanksgiving. It helps in teaching family values and friendships, thus, persuading people to value these things. Above all, the ceremony teaches people to be charitable to the less fortunate in the society. At this time, it encourages people to share and offer gifts to others. During Diwali, people usually salute one another in English as ‘happy Diwali’ (Coward, Hinnells, and Williams 232). From the Diwali celebrations across the world, it is evident that without sweets, then the event will not qualify as Diwali. The sweets sweeten the ceremony for everyone attending it. The sweets are exchanged among everyone: young and old, and male and female. Hindus also share the sweets with other people from other religions, mostly those connected to them. The habit of giving gifts is also encouraging, as it spreads joy to every person involved, whether in India or abroad. Coward, Harold. Hinnells, John, and Williams, Raymond. The South Asian Religious Diaspora in Britain, Canada, and the United States . New York: Suny Press. 2000. Print. Ganeshram, Ramin, and Vellotti, Jean-Paul. Sweet Hands: Island Cooking from Trinidad & Tobago . New York: Hippocrene Books, 2006. Print. Khandelwa, Madhulika. Becoming American, Being Indian: An Immigrant Community in New York City . Ithaca, NY City: Cornell University. 2002. Print. Plum-Ucci, Carol. Celebrate Diwali. New York: Associated Press, 2005. Print. Richman, Paula. A Diaspora Ramayana in Southall, Greater London. Journal of the American Academy of Religion 67.1 (1999): 21-30. Print. Robinson, James. Hinduism . New York: InfoBase Publishing. 2004. Print. Shah, Manju. Celebrating Diwali in America. Journal of South Asian Literature 30.1 (1995): 41-50. Print. Torpe, Kate. Diwali . New York: Crabtree Publishing Company, 2008. Print. Chinese Traditional Festivals and Culture Theology, Philosophy and Science in Islamic Civilization Early Life of Rama Rama and Odysseus as Eastern and Western Heroes The Acme Fireworks Firm's Growth and Expansion Thinking the Asian Way: Down Where the Sun Rises Similarities of Asian Countries Interrelationship between Politics, Religion, and Material Things in Japan Philosophical Perspective on the Tomb of Shihuangdi Latin America Cultural Abundance: Art and Music Chicago (A-D) Chicago (N-B) IvyPanda. (2019, March 26). Understanding the Significance of Diwali as a Representation of the Indian Culture. https://ivypanda.com/essays/understanding-the-significance-of-diwali-as-a-representation-of-the-indian-culture/ "Understanding the Significance of Diwali as a Representation of the Indian Culture." IvyPanda , 26 Mar. 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/understanding-the-significance-of-diwali-as-a-representation-of-the-indian-culture/. IvyPanda . (2019) 'Understanding the Significance of Diwali as a Representation of the Indian Culture'. 26 March. IvyPanda . 2019. "Understanding the Significance of Diwali as a Representation of the Indian Culture." March 26, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/understanding-the-significance-of-diwali-as-a-representation-of-the-indian-culture/. 1. IvyPanda . "Understanding the Significance of Diwali as a Representation of the Indian Culture." March 26, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/understanding-the-significance-of-diwali-as-a-representation-of-the-indian-culture/. Bibliography IvyPanda . "Understanding the Significance of Diwali as a Representation of the Indian Culture." March 26, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/understanding-the-significance-of-diwali-as-a-representation-of-the-indian-culture/. Get the Reddit app r/Fantasy is the internet's largest discussion forum for the greater Speculative Fiction genre. Fans of fantasy, science fiction, horror, alt history, and more can all find a home with us. We welcome respectful dialogue related to speculative fiction in literature, games, film, and the wider world. We ask all users help us create a welcoming environment by reporting posts/comments that do not follow the subreddit rules. An Indian Guy's Personal Opinions on The Representation of Indian Culture in Popular Media So, I'd like to open this up by saying that I don't read a great many books. Like a lot of people, I kind of get the majority of my entertainment out of comic books, manga, anime, video games, and tv shows, so if there are some works that do a good job of representing my people and my culture, well, feel free to list them and I'll consider checking them out once I finish reading Joe Abercrombie's First Law series. This is mainly just supposed to be my personal perspectives and opinions based on the content I've been exposed to over the course of my entire life and it isn't meant in any way to generalize, undermine, or insult popular culture as a whole. With that being said, as an Indian-American, I've always felt like my culture has been something that few people in the West seemed to really understand beyond the surface level and have often found that the majority of media just seems to be incredibly lazy in their depictions of us and cultures based on us. A lot of it tends to just be heavily sensationalized or simplified depictions of our ancient civilizations and of Hinduism as a whole which fails to understand the complexities and nuances which form our collective identity. While on a national scale we're collectively addressed as one people, we're a large hotpot of numerous cultures who'd needed centuries to unify on any sort of large scale. Our history is intricate and full of all sorts of interesting events and ideas which are at times directly reflected in the mythology of the numerous religions and sub-sects of those religions that had formed across the vast subcontinent we call home. Yet despite that and despite the incredible insight you could easily gain from even a surface-level understanding of the Mahabharata (basically the Hindu Iliad, to put in the simplest terms that I can really think of, which you should definitely consider reading at some point because its metal as fuck) and other well-known epics, it just seems like a lot of writers only seem to see us as, well, a bunch of jungle people with curved swords, elephants, and a caste system. It feels insulting and at times borderline racist, it's almost like the Orientalism perpetuated by many English writers during the 19th and 20th century never truly died and that some traces of it still exist today. Really, I don't want to come off as some whiney, ungrateful ass. I'm glad that some people are willing to even give us the light of day at all. It could genuinely be a lot worse, but that doesn't change the fact that portraying us in such a genuinely ignorant and heavily generalized way is harmful, and that there's no reason that we can't be given the same sort of justice and care that a lot of European cultures seem to be given in Fantasy and in pop culture as a whole. It just feels like a missed opportunity to create what could be a modern classic using an underused and incredibly diverse set of legends and ideas from innumerable cultures across thousands of years of history. By continuing, you agree to our User Agreement and acknowledge that you understand the Privacy Policy . Enter the 6-digit code from your authenticator app You’ve set up two-factor authentication for this account. Enter a 6-digit backup code Create your username and password. Reddit is anonymous, so your username is what you’ll go by here. Choose wisely—because once you get a name, you can’t change it. Reset your password Enter your email address or username and we’ll send you a link to reset your password Check your inbox An email with a link to reset your password was sent to the email address associated with your account Choose a Reddit account to continue Hanuman: The Revered Monkey God in Hindu Mythology Maya M. Tola 22 August 2024 min Read Copper alloy sculpture of Hanuman, ca. 1600, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA, USA. Recommended Architecture Konark Temple: The Celestial Chariot of the Hindu Sun God Art History 101 Shiva Nataraja – The Hindu Lord of the Dance. Iconography and Symbolism Ancient Art Gods of the Hindu Trinity: Representation in Art The revered monkey god Hanuman is one of the most iconic in Hindu mythology. He embodies unparalleled strength, unwavering devotion, and boundless loyalty. His legendary exploits have transcended religious texts. Hanuman has inspired countless representations and narratives throughout history, which permeate religious practices, art, and popular culture and, reversely, made him a significant and enduring figure. Religious Significance Hanuman is central to Hinduism. He is widely worshipped for his strength and protective qualities. Devotees often pray to him for health and protection from evil.  As with most Hindu deities , Hanuman is known by various names. Each carries its own unique significance and symbolism. The Hanuman Chalisa , a 40-verse hymn composed by Tulsidas, plays a crucial role in daily worship, celebrating his deeds and virtues. Hanuman Jayanti, the festival marking his birth, is observed with various regional traditions. On this occasion, Hanuman’s continuing role as a protector and symbol of unmatched strength in Hindu culture is affirmed. Bronze Hanuman in Cambodian Bayon style, ca. 12th century, Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH, USA. The Birth of Hanuman The Puranas, particularly the Hanuman Purana , describe Hanuman’s divine origins. The literature identified Vayu, the wind god, as his father and Anjana, apsara, as his mother. Anjana was marked by a curse that would be lifted by giving birth to a powerful son, a destiny that was fulfilled with Hanuman’s birth. Hanuman Bearing the Mountaintop with Medicinal Herbs , ca. 1800, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, NY, USA. Hanuman in the Ramayana In the Ramayana , Hanuman emerges as a heroic figure and a key ally in Lord Rama’s quest to rescue his wife, Sita , from the asura king Ravana. In an iconic episode of the Ramayana , Hanuman is tasked with fetching the life-saving Sanjeevani herb from the Himalayas to heal Rama’s brother, Lakshmana. Unable to identify the specific herb, Hanuman lifts the entire mountain and carries it back. This story demonstrates his immense power and determination, as well as his unwavering loyalty to Lord Rama, and it turns out to be perhaps the most popular one among the artistic depictions of the monkey god. Mughal School, Hanuman Carrying the Mountain , ca. 1597-1605, National Museum of Asian Art, Washington, DC, USA. Hanuman in the Mahabharata In the Mahabharata , Hanuman appears when the Pandava prince Bhima encounters an elderly monkey blocking his path. Unaware of the monkey’s true identity, Bhima attempts to move him but is humbled by Hanuman’s superior strength. Hanuman statue at Venkatesh Balaji Temple, Buldana District, India, ca. August 2011. Photograph by Puja1984 via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-3.0). Hanuman’s Cultural and Artistic Representation Regional folklore also plays a significant role in shaping Hanuman’s image, with local traditions and storytelling adding unique elements to his portrayal. In North India, Hanuman is often depicted with a prominent, muscular build and a distinctive mace, his weapon of choice. South Indian representations tend to feature more elaborate and colorful attire with intricate details. In Southeast Asia, he is a prominent figure in art and culture, particularly in Indonesian and Thai artworks. He is often depicted in traditional dance dramas and reliefs to reflect the region’s adaptation of Hindu mythology. Hanuman from the Pahari School , ca. 1700. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA, USA. Impact on Popular Culture Hanuman’s influence extends to popular culture. He appears in contemporary Indian comics, graphic novels, and a wide range of Indian television, cinema, and animated series. His appeal stands the test of time. As a symbol of unmatched strength, loyalty, and profound devotion, Hanuman continues to captivate and inspire across various media. He remains admired as a deity in both traditional and modern contexts. religious art Get your daily dose of art Click and follow us on Google News to stay updated all the time We love art history and writing about it. Your support helps us to sustain DailyArt Magazine and keep it running. DailyArt Magazine needs your support. Every contribution, however big or small, is very valuable for our future. Thanks to it, we will be able to sustain and grow the Magazine. Thank you for your help! Maya M. Tola Maya Tola is a Dallas-based attorney, with a zest for art history. A time traveler at heart, Maya often finds herself consumed in the contemplation of life in antiquity. She has been sharing her infectious enthusiasm for art and history since 2018 through her posts and articles for the DailyArt App and DailyArt Magazine. When she's not working or writing, you'll find Maya obsessing over plants, animals, and food (in no particular order). Proofreader Yifan Xia Nataraja, the manifestation of the Hindu god Shiva as the Lord of the Dance, holds a profound significance in Hindu mythology and symbolism. Depicted... Maya M. Tola 3 June 2024 10 Incredible Japanese Woodblock Prints You Need to See Step into the captivating world of Japanese woodblock prints, where intricate designs and vibrant colors combine to tell stories of tradition,... Joanna Kaszubowska 16 May 2024 10 Miniature Sculptures By Tatsuya Tanaka To Brighten Your Day Japanese miniature craftsmanship has been evolving for the past couple of centuries. Their love for scaled-down everyday objects gained the interest... Sandra Juszczyk 29 April 2024 Yūrei-zu: Japanese Horror in Art Some Asian cultures are notorious for their rich horror culture, showcasing exceptional horror movies and artistic expressions that continually... Errika Gerakiti 11 April 2024 Never miss DailyArt Magazine's stories. Sign up and get your dose of art history delivered straight to your inbox! Kolkata Rape Paper Heist Uncovering Hate Manipur Conflict Climate Change Members Only Brand Studio Entertainment The Quint Lab Graphic Novels Members' Opinion South Asians Privacy Policy BECOME A MEMBER An 'old boys club' seeking equality for women in law can't bring change, women in law often work late hours, a situation exacerbated by the fear of becoming a tragic news headline.. As a practicing lawyer in India, I have keenly observed the urgent need for social reform within the legal profession. While it is encouraging that the current Hon'ble Chief Justice of India (CJI) recently emphasised on the importance of increasing women's representation in the judiciary, tangible gender equity is yet to be fully realised. Similarly, even as I appreciate the call to improve the working conditions of women doctors by the CJI during th e suo moto proceedings against the horrific rape case in Kolkata, more action is needed to bring about any change in the medical profession. Now, both medical and legal professions are male dominated. That's not only because they deal with people's lives and involve long hours, but also simply because they are male dominated. In both these professions, women are seen as fragile and emotional human beings who aren’t capable of surgeries or cross-examination of strong-headed criminals, respectively. This prejudice about women persists as an ‘unconscious bias’ in people conditioned in patriarchy. Existential Crisis: New Laws for Digital Influencers Under Draft Broadcast Bill? Through this article, I explore the experiences of women lawyers in litigation, experiences where the Indian legal fraternity has consistently fallen short. 'Unspoken Bias Against Hiring Female Lawyers' In June this year, the Hon'ble CJI called for increased representation of women in the judiciary and better infrastructural facilities for women lawyers and judges in courts and offices. However, we have not heard of any specific initiatives addressing the challenges faced by women lawyers working in private offices, especially first-generation women lawyers or women from less privileged backgrounds. While first-generation male lawyers may face some challenges, our gender adds an extra layer of complexity to these issues – our gender is the cherry on the cake no one wants to have in litigation. In India, most litigating lawyers operate privately in law offices, chambers, etc., which fall under the unorganised sector. On the other hand, some lawyers work in law firms that belong to the organised sector. These firms are legally obligated to adhere to the legal regulations, including non-discriminatory hiring practices, equal pay, and the establishment of POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) committees. Despite these regulations, many law firms still exhibit a highly skewed male-dominated work culture. However, the primary concern of an unregulated male-dominated work culture remains in the unorganised sector, where most lawyers practice because those in charge have significant discretion over remuneration, hiring, and termination decisions in these law offices. Based on my experiences working in several private law office, first-generation women lawyers, or those from less privileged circumstances, encounter substantial barriers while entering and navigating the legal profession. There is an unspoken bias against hiring women lawyers, and even when they are employed and compensated fairly compared to their male counterparts, the prevailing work culture often impedes their long-term success in those environments. 'Misogynistic Comments Indicate Perpetuation of Rape Culture in Law Offices' The situation is further compounded by the prevalence of senior lawyers and judges making misogynistic and transphobic comments, which perpetuates this culture within private spheres among young lawyers. As a woman lawyer, I have encountered disrespect from my male colleagues in the office, who’ve made some highly unacceptable comments from time to time. For example, a well-qualified male colleague once made a disparaging remark about a prosecutrix in a rape case, and I quote — " Isko kaun rape karega, ye toh flat TV hai ('Who will rape her, she is a flat TV')". While this was a highly offensive remark, none of the four male colleagues in the room called him out because no one wanted to pick a fight with a senior colleague. Similarly, I refrained from addressing the issue, believing that it was not solely my responsibility to correct the behaviour of an adult male. Hearing such remarks on a regular basis, as one of the very few women who chose to be in the litigation profession, takes a toll on our mental well-being as professionals, too. We work 15-16 hours each day surrounded by such individuals, and these casual misogynistic comments indicate the perpetuation of rape culture within law offices, which will persist unless these lawyers are held accountable for their treatment of other genders around them. 'Instead of Reforming Work Culture, Senior Lawyers Unjustly Hire Only Male Associates' Women in the legal profession confront the fundamental issue of working late hours, a situation exacerbated by the fear of becoming a tragic news headline due to the late work hours. Instead of empowering women lawyers with women-friendly working hours or facilitating online/hybrid services for late work hours or safe travel arrangements, most senior lawyers (including designated senior advocates) unjustly hire only male legal associates. This practice obstructs the possibility of reforming their work culture to be more inclusive, alienating women from litigation, and pushing them toward corporate law or the judiciary as their only viable career options. It would be short-sighted for the legal community to believe that simply an increase in the number of women judges without any research and awareness programmes within the collegium and without any support for the women lawyers in the legal profession will rectify the issue of gender disparity; especially when the majority of women in the legal profession work as lawyers in the unorganised sector, making it challenging for them first to secure employment, demonstrate their competence to work as effectively as their male peers, and return home safe and unharmed each night. 'A More Sensitised Male Legal Fraternity Can Make Real Difference' In fact, instead of screening movies on the court campus, the Bar could organise gender-sensitisation programmes for lawyers in the courts to improve the culture of law offices and help highly misogynistic, patriarchal advocates unlearn their years of conditioning. This unlearning of the deeply conditioned misogyny in lawyers will undoubtedly make way for women lawyers to stay and grow in the legal profession. Moreover, to improve gender diversity in the judiciary and the Bar, gender-specific research and recommendations are necessary within the collegium when appointing women judges, and when the judges appoint senior advocates. It is all the more important to point out that after 77 years of Independence, none of the women appointed as senior advocates or judges of the Supreme Court belongs to the SC/ST community. Unfortunately, intersectional representation of women lacks consideration even in the speeches of the Hon’ble CJI. This is why, since time immemorial, the ableist approach of law offices and the courts has discouraged women and kept them out of litigation practice. Therefore, a more inclusive and sensitised male legal fraternity can make a real difference in genuinely improving women's representation and growth in the legal profession so that we women can also have numerous role models to look up to. (The author is an advocate in the Delhi High Court and an LLM candidate at London School of Economics. This is an opinion piece, and the views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for them.) ( At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a membe r . Because the truth is worth it. ) Read Latest News and Breaking News at The Quint, browse for more from opinion Topics:    women safety      supreme court      law  . Loading Comments... Study: TV shows with authentic Native American representation increase support for Indigenous issues A new study by researchers at IllumiNative and the University of Southern California provides hope and a path forward, following a troubled past of stereotypical depictions and a lack of Indigenous creatives in the entertainment industry. About five years ago, the Indigenous scene in the entertainment industry was essentially nonexistent. The number of Native American staff writers, screenwriters and television actors accounted for about one percent of the 2019-2020 television season, according to various data sources. Prior to that, depictions of harmful Native American stereotypes ran rampant on screen, such as the ruthless warrior or vulnerable victim stereotypes. But, stepping into a new decade in 2020, those portrayals started to dissipate, with more Indigenous creatives taking seats at decision-making tables — notably Sterlin Harjo, Jana Schmieding and Sierra Teller Ornelas, among others. Researchers began examining this rise in Indigenous representation and noticed how portrayals of Native American people started to become more nuanced and contemporary. However, no research quantified how these shows impacted audiences until now. On Tuesday, a team at the women-led Indigenous non-profit IllumiNative and researchers at the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center released a report revealing the effect three recent shows — Reservation Dogs , Rutherford Falls , and Yellowstone — had on viewers. Ultimately, they found Native representation on screens and sets mattered because they determined how viewers responded to issues about Indigenous communities. For example, among the Reservation Dog viewers surveyed, they were more likely to support the Indian Child Welfare Act — a protection for tribal nations to safeguard their children, cultures and communities after a history of forced family separation. It is important to note all the writers and directors of Reservation Dogs were Indigenous, and the cast and production team were mostly Native American. Similarly viewers of Rutherford Falls were more likely to condemn Native American mascots for sports teams, which can be harmful to Native American students . They also agree “that the U.S. should be required to uphold treat obligations that enable Native Americans to control their own lands.” However, viewers of Yellowstone — a show with no Native writers, producers or directors — were more likely to support Native-themed mascots and keeping Columbus Day a national holiday. They were also not as likely to correctly identify this statement, compared to non-viewers: “Native Americans are one of the fastest growing groups in the United States.” The report’s authors find the path toward better entertainment industry representation means more Indigenous talent in leadership roles, tribal specificity and diversifying Indigenous experiences. It also means investing in more Indigenous talent, stories with joy and jokes, and setting shows up to run for multiple seasons. To read the entire “Native Representation on Scripted Television report, which also included content analysis findings about how Native characters are depicted on scripted television, click here . Sign up for The KOSU Daily newsletter! Jump to navigation Representation of Place in Literature and Culture: Global Perspectives (An Edited Book-Volume) Concept Note Matters of space, spatiality, geography, topography and place have mostly remained neglected in modern scholarship and teaching because in most modern and postmodern literary criticism history and temporality have been dominating discourses. But in recent criticism the "when" and "what" of literature yield place to "where" as Michel Foucault declared the present time as "the epoch of space" (22). Literature reflects a spirit of place and a sense of place because the place is known and gives meaning when it is felt and closely experienced by human beings living in it. In the Preface of his famous book,  Place and Placelessness  (1976) Edward Relph criticises the modern environmental discussions which generalize and, resultantly, simplify the landscape in terms of some stereotypical and mechanical structures or models and subsequently "ignore much of the subtlety and significance of everyday experience". Bertrand Westphal who has been instrumental in introducing the concept of Geocriticism in literary theory remarks in his book,  Geocriticism: Real and Fictional Places  (2011) that a “geocentered” approach to literature and culture allows a particular place to serve as the focal point for a variety of critical practices. Again, as Robert T. Tally Jr. who translated Westphal’s seminal book in English, writes in his Translator’s Preface – After all, a place is only a place because of how we, individually and collectively, organize space in such a way as to mark the topos as special, to set it apart from the spaces surrounding it and infuse it. Our understanding of a particular place is determined by our personal experiences with it, but also by our reading about others’ experiences. (x) The present book aims to address these geographical-cultural specificities of places and at the same time, it attempts to look at literature as a spatially symbolic act referring to a plethora of human experiences attached to a place. Most importantly, in the age of globalization where a pro-capitalist search for a homogeneous culture seeks to debunk cultural differences it aims to address the marginal experiences of place as reflected in literature coming from various indigenous, marginalized and displaced groups across the continents. The book also aims to reflect on different cultural signposts and environmental issues which have been invariably attuned with spatial experiences in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Plan of the Book:  We have planned to arrange the essays/articles/ chapters under five major cluster heads: •       Theory on Place, Space and Spatiality (General Section) •       American Context •       African Context •       Australian Context  •       Asian Context  Guidelines:  Proposals/Abstracts for essays within 300 words and a short bio are to be submitted by the 15th of September 2024 , with complete articles within 5,000-7,000 words (excluding works cited and endnotes) , expected by the 15th of November 2024, on topics including, but not limited to, the following: Place and literary theory  Place, myth and culture Place and the making of ‘new canon’ Place in indigenous literature, culture and aboriginal studies Place and area studies Place, dystopianism and ecodisaster Place and popular culture Place in film and media narratives Place, border narratives and diaspora studies We welcome essays/ articles/papers/chapters following the MLA Handbook’s 8th edition in this proposed edited book-volume on  Representation of Place in Literature and Culture: Global Perspectives  to be published by a major international academic publisher. Submissions of abstracts, complete essays/ articles/papers/chapters and queries are to be directed to  [email protected]   or [email protected] . Prof. (Dr.) Indranil Acharya, Dr. Ujjwal Kr. Panda et al. (eds.)   151 IMAGES Incredible India Culture 20 Illustrative representation of Indian cultures Stock Photo Indian culture promo poster with national symbols Vector Image India Background Showing Its Incredible Culture and Diversity with The Unique Culture of India: 5 Major Traditions & Indian Customs Indian Culture : 16 Unique Culture of India, Customs & Traditions COMMENTS 15 Stereotypes Indians Are Tired Of Seeing In Western Movies & TV Read update. Indian culture has been more in focus than ever with shows and movies like Indian Matchmaking and Wedding Season going viral on Netflix. The unraveling of harmful stereotypes about brown heritage, their occupations and their roles in the world is a slow process, and Hollywood has given plenty of tropes that inaccurately describe Indians and their lifestyle. Hinduism in the American Media Many people my age grew up with the TV sitcom Jessie, with its Indian-American character Ravi, one of several adopted children under the care of nanny Jessie.By this time, and in contrast to Apu, representation of Hindus was broadening in both the number of shows in which Hindus appeared and the age groups targeted, so other notable characters emerged as well, such as Baljeet from the Phineas ... Will Hollywood ever show us the 'real India'? The White Tiger, based on the 2008 Man Booker award winning book by Aravind Adiga, may or may not show a real India, but it definitely features real Indians. For Hollywood (and British cinema ... Western media's stereotypes of Indian culture And these images and ideas co-exist almost seamlessly with the representation of a fast growing technological and economic power, often dubbed as the "shining India." Whether this "mixed," paradoxical representation is inseparable from post-global modernity or is going to evolve toward a more progressive paradigm remains to be seen. Culture of India Indian culture is the heritage of social norms and technologies that originated in or are associated with the ethno-linguistically diverse India, pertaining to the Indian subcontinent until 1947 and the Republic of India post-1947. The term also applies beyond India to countries and cultures whose histories are strongly connected to India by immigration, colonisation, or influence ... Native Narratives: The Representation of Native Americans in Public Representations of Native Americans permeate everyday American life, ranging from pipe-smoking warriors on cigarette packs to the names of cars, airplanes, and sports teams. These images have a long history originating in early European notions about Native peoples and the Americas. Public media programs, such as episodes of the radio series ... India India - Ancient History, Culture, Religion: The European scholars who reconstructed early Indian history in the 19th century regarded it as essentially static and Indian society as concerned only with things spiritual. Indologists, such as the German Max Müller, relied heavily on the Sanskritic tradition and saw Indian society as an idyllic village culture emphasizing qualities of passivity ... Social Realities of Indian Americans: Results From the 2020 Indian The February 2021 IAAS study examined the degree to which Indian Americans remain connected to India through cultural outlets such as Indian food, movies or television, and art, dance, or music. 38 This paper looks at one additional aspect of cultural engagement: participation in select holidays regularly celebrated in India. Indian Adaptability. Harmony. Modesty. Light-heartedness. India is home to over a billion people, accommodating incredible cultural diversity between languages, geographic regions, religious traditions and social stratifications. In recognition of this large demographic diversity, the following descriptions are not intended to represent every Indian ... Representations of Native Americans in the Mass Media Summary. The historical construction of Indian in American popular culture poses serious challenges for conducting research about representations of indigenous culture, identity, and politics. Mass-mediated representation deserves specific attention, as popular entertainment has been one of the most significant historic battlegrounds over the status of indigenous identity in American culture. Indigenous Representation Still Scarce in Hollywood Indigenous Representation Is Still Scarce in Hollywood: 'We Need More Native Stories' (Guest Column) By Crystal Echo Hawk. BANFF. Representation is revolutionary. Seeing Native people, who we ... Bollywood, Popular Visual Media, and Sexism in India: A Critical Glance Sexism is the prejudice, stereotype, or discrimination, on the basis of sex, typically against women. 1 It is seen to exist in various socio-occupational fields all over the world, including the media. The media are often seen to underrepresent and misrepresent women as well as stereotype gender roles across the globe. 2 This article focuses on the Indian scenario involving portrayal of women ... PDF Exploring India's Culture & Diversity Overview erviewExploring India's Culture & Diversity "India is a garden of all kind of flowe. s, and th. w to live with each other." Afroz TajOverviewIndia is one of the most diverse lands found anywhere in the world with 29 states, each with their. own unique languages, traditions, and religions. In this lesson, students will familiarize ... Cultural Plurality in Indian Fiction: Understanding the Indian Identity Divyali MehrotraSymbiosis School for Liberal Arts Abstract India's identity consists of several facets, and defining the national identity of a culturally plural land is a difficult task; an even more challenging task is the representation of this diversity in works of art and literature. R.K. Narayan's works have been said to put Indian literature on… How 'Lion' explores identity, belonging and cultural heritage Lion (2016) 105 reviews. Drama based on the true story of a young Indian boy who gets lost from his family and, many years later as an adult, retraces his steps to find them. Certificate. Age group 11+ years. Duration 118 mins. As a young boy, Saroo and his family lived in a rural village in northern India. Reduced to stealing coal to exchange ... Museums in India: Problematising the Representation of ... Popular representations in these three museums show an affinity toward the depiction of memories as homogenous and uncontested. True for the recent past, and extending far back into history, Indian museums have given more importance to ceremonial objects, especially the relics of rulers who had, in the past, conquered and ruled over the subcontinent, as compared to the banal and everyday ... The Cultural Impact of Indian Bollywood Cinema: From Song-and-Dance The Representation of Indian Society and Culture in Bollywood Films: Stereotypes and Realities. Bollywood cinema, also known as Hindi cinema, has been a significant part of Indian culture for over a century. It is the largest film industry in the world, producing over 1,000 films annually. Bollywood films are known for their song-and-dance ... The Cultural Significance Of Indian Comics And Graphic Novels Representation of Indian cultural values. Indian comics have not only introduced superheroes but also portrayed ordinary characters who reflect the cultural values and ethos of Indian society. Characters like Chacha Chaudhary, Billoo, and Tenali Raman depict the simplicity, wit, and resilience of the common Indian people. ... Understanding the Significance of Diwali as a Representation of Indian In America, Indian Hindus have introduced their religious prayers, holidays and other rituals to Americans as a holistic representation of their culture, often in the face of resistance by local city councils and residents in several states who have prevented them from trying to build religious temples in a local environment (Torpey 45). Culture of India Indian Culture - Traditional yet Contemporary. Culture plays a pivotal role in the development of any country. A culture of a nation represents its values, goals, practices and shared beliefs. The ... Understanding the Significance of Diwali as a Representation of the Like most of the festivals celebrated mainly by Hindus, Diwali has a mythology and a historical basis behind it. Legend stories purport that Hanuman, the monkey god, crucial devotee of Lord Rama, brought the long-awaited message, declaring Rama's return to his kingdom following an exile of fourteen years. An Indian Guy's Personal Opinions on The Representation of Indian Weirdly enough some of the most interesting representation of Indian Mythology (and Irish) is from the Fate series. It's not really about India since, due to the nature of the series, theres a whole mishmash of cultures going on. ... If you think a Indian culture type fantasy would sell now is the time to write it. Hanuman: The Revered Monkey God in Hindu Mythology In North India, Hanuman is often depicted with a prominent, muscular build and a distinctive mace, his weapon of choice. South Indian representations tend to feature more elaborate and colorful attire with intricate details. In Southeast Asia, he is a prominent figure in art and culture, particularly in Indonesian and Thai artworks. Reckoning with subaltern science: The case of India's The Wire Science In light of the dominance of "Western" scientific discourse in English-language news media, the question arises regarding how and to what extent a prominent Global South-based science newsmagazine such as India's The Wire Science positions itself with respect to indigenous cultural practices. Addressing this question, our essay critically examines The Wire Science's "The Science of ... Evolution of the 'woman's question' in India The 'woman's question' in India emerged as part of the 19th-century social reform movement. Discuss major issues and debates concerning women in that period. Write a short note on women's political representation in India. Discuss major economic and socio-cultural issues that impede women's empowerment in India. An 'Old Boys Club' Seeking Equality for Women in Law Can't ... Despite calls for increased representation, women lawyers in India still struggle with bias and discrimination in a predominantly male legal profession. Study: TV shows with authentic Native American representation increase Ultimately, they found Native representation on screens and sets mattered because they determined how viewers responded to issues about Indigenous communities. For example, among the Reservation Dog viewers surveyed, they were more likely to support the Indian Child Welfare Act — a protection for tribal nations to safeguard their children ... cfp Representation of Place in Literature and Culture: Global Perspectives (An Edited Book-Volume) Concept Note. Matters of space, spatiality, geography, topography and place have mostly remained neglected in modern scholarship and teaching because in most modern and postmodern literary criticism history and temporality have been dominating discourses. assignment essay homework paper phd report resume review speech thesis