Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

'Secular' Bollywood

Sir, — "Bollywood's secular image" (Aug. 24) is not very clear. An actor plays the role he/she is given. So what is remarkable about Hindu characters being played by Muslim actors? Or, for that matter, Muslims singing bhajans?

It is Bollywood's stereotypes that are worrisome. A Muslim is usually in a `sherwani' and spouts Urdu poetry. The hero's sidekick belonging to another religion speaks in chaste and Sanskritised Hindi. Muslim girls are either shy to the extreme or they challenge the men to a qawwali. Secularism has to aim beyond worship and tolerance for faiths and take religion beyond convention. We haven't been able to do this.

Akhila Seshadri,
Chennai

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Opinion

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Blasts and breakthrough
• A limited deal on drugs
• Internal accountability
• U.N. can heal Iraqi wounds
• Promises to keep
• Article 356
• Biased editorial
• Buffer state
• Discouraging
• Global phenomenon
• Killing the Ganga
• By no means soft
• 'Secular' Bollywood
• Informative

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu