With the release of Bridgerton season two, my Instagram has been filled with Indians talking about how South Asian representation on such shows makes them feel “seen.” I understand that South Asian representation is a win for the entire country, but how can we celebrate being seen on international television when our own film industry fails to represent the diversity within India the right way?
Take the 2021 film Meenakshi Sundareshwar, for example. It is a movie about a South Indian girl, played by a North Indian actress. The entire film embraces and perpetuates a stereotype. Bollywood has repeatedly failed in representing South Indian culture authentically, so I cannot accept it when upper-caste North Indian kids say they feel “represented” through Bridgerton.
How can you say you feel represented when you are the ones constantly criticizing the rest of the country’s culture? If Indian cuisine is only limited to the diet of upper-caste North Indians, and Indian culture is only limited to what a particular crowd of privileged people practices, then how are two actresses of Tamil descent on an international show making you feel seen?
Simone Ashley and Charithra Chandran, the Sharma sisters in Bridgerton, are both of Tamil descent. So I am sorry, but this is a win for South Indians, because South Indian culture is constantly put down by Bollywood. Bollywood’s misconception of South Indian culture through films like 2 States and Chennai Express clearly shows the industry’s limited and often ignorant perception of the South.
Why can’t a South Indian be cast to play the role of a South Indian if the goal is to represent South Indian culture? At least North Indians living in South India can have a say on such things, but I cannot accept it when people who have never even visited this part of the country make assumptions.
If you think all South Indians behave the way Bollywood showcases them, you simply cannot say that you feel represented when people of South Indian ethnicity appear on the big screen. Why do all South Indian characters in Hindi films have exaggerated accents? Why do they not speak proper English? And why is only South Indian Brahmin culture shown?
South Indian states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu rank among the highest in English proficiency across India. Tons of North Indians live here, go to school here, and thrive here. This part of the country is not what Bollywood makes it out to be. The Bollywood industry is, unfortunately, still deeply misogynistic and caste-biased.
If you think all South Indians are “Madrasi” and that non-Brahmin South Indians are all unruly or uncultured, then you are viewing them through a lens of ignorance and superiority. You cannot take pride in South Indian productions and South Indian actors’ accomplishments while continuing to stereotype or marginalise the culture they come from.
I do not wish to offend or throw shade at anyone. This is just my personal opinion. I love Bollywood, but when it comes to representation, the industry has failed several times and continues to do so.
This is the first controversial piece that I am publishing. Do let me know if you would like to read more like this. I have attached a few articles and posts that I found interesting during my research. Please check them out before jumping to conclusions or taking offense.
https://www.michigandaily.com/michigan-in-color/what-bollywood-thinks-of-me/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CcKw8YhhshJ/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Shivani Arvind 