Here is a list of Bizarre Bollywood obsessions which needs to stop.
Bizarre Bollywood obsession: There are many aspects of commercial Bollywood cinema we all have grown up with. Movies take us to those fantasy worlds that detach us from our real-life problems. However, sometimes the story becomes repetitive and misinformed, filled with many stereotypes and narratives with which Bollywood is obsessed.
Here is a list of Bizarre Bollywood obsessions which needs to stop.
The Item Song Trope
One of the funniest features of commercial Hindi cinema is the item song sequence. The definition of these dance numbers has changed over the years. At one point in time, herds of men surrounded the woman, lusting and ogling at her as if she were an object. However, they have slowly transitioned into performance pieces. But the idea has not entirely changed and is surrounded by blurry territory.
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Over time item songs have become such an essential part of Bollywood that they can bring the audience to the theatres. The hilarious detail can’t be overlooked – how the creators integrate the item number with the story. Most of the film is like ‘Hero Dhunde, ladki nache’ moment.
Justifying accents
There was a time when many foreign actresses were welcomed in Hindi cinema. These actresses were not well-versed in Hindi and were dubbed most of the time. In some cases, just to justify their Indian roots, the writers would formulate a back story where the characters have a foreign father or mother.
It is surprising to see how the writing of the film has to be changed depending on the limitation of the actor. This is the problem of Bollywood, which believes in Star-led rather than story-driven. And their obsession with casting foreign actresses where many talented Indian girls are starving for 1 break.
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A badass woman
This might be a contentious perspective. A woman who doesn’t conform to the set social standards breaks social norms and defies the sexist & confined society. Then she has to smoke and drink. As if their actions were not enough to justify a badass mindset. The cigarette or alcohol in the hands of females leads somewhere to convey that they are liberated. As if it is the symbolism of empowerment.
Foreign background dancer
(the lyrics of the song is Delhi, Mumbai ki Kudiyaan)
Indian films have a format of songs and dance, making them unique in their own way. And background dancers remained the central part till today. However, there is a sudden shift in replacing Indian background dancers with foreign faces. No matter if it justifies the format of the film or not. The entire premises of the film is set in India. Still, white female dancers emerge out of nowhere and start grooving to Indian and sometimes regional songs.
The preference for white faces over brown affected the jobs of Indian background dancers greatly and made them unsuitable for many projects.
Girl with Glasses is Boring
This stereotype has been popular in Bollywood. A girl wearing glasses is always considered dull, a nerd, or less adventurous. However, when they remove them, BOOM! They start seeing the world with a different lens which is beautiful and filled with happy people.
Where did you get those glasses from, a parallel universe?
Not only this, she becomes a different person, who is hotter!!
This was our list of Bizarre Bollywood obsessions. If you have some more, let us know in the comments.
