How Indian movies stereotype and misrepresent Nepali Identity

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Stereotype is a general belief concerning a group of people making them seem the same when they are not. To say “girls can’t drive” is a sexist stereotype.

Indian Cinema, from its early years to the present day, has a habit of stereotyping different communities. Nepalis are also stereotyped and misrepresented a lot in Indian movies, especially Bollywood movies. From cringy caricatures to racist portrayals, indian movie makers are masters in them.

Bollywood is one of the most influential industries in the entertainment industry in Asia. Recent Bollywood movies with big stars have even crossed 1000+ crores box office. This big influential industry falls short when it comes to representing Nepal and Nepali people. This is just disappointing from a Nepali perspective.

The Bahadur Trap, Stereotype In Uniform

If there is one thing Hindi films have done consistently, it’s misrepresenting Nepali people. What are Nepali people capable of in Hindi movies? More often, they are security guards, servants, or some side gig and comedic character. The characters with a lot of exaggerated hilly accents. A clueless, loyal guard with limited knowledge. A human, but treated as a prop, just a one-dimensional, shallow character.

All of you know the guard name “Bahadur”. Such a loyal, simple, clueless character. Always wearing a dhaka topi with guard clothes or “Daura suruwal”. Broken Hindi accent, just used for cheap laughs.

There is no problem in showing Nepali in ” Daura suruwal”. But the same repetitive clothes and shallow character are just a misrepresentation. The movie makers don’t know the ethnicity of Nepal. They are unaware of Nepali people. Just a fake, stereotypical character is printed in their mind with a common name, “Bahadur”. Hindi movie makers do not research deeply into any Nepali character to understand their complexity. And yes, this is a problem.

The Harm Due To Stereotypes

Movies may feel like harmless fiction to us, something we enjoy and leave. But Movies don’t just entertain us. They shape our perspective, they shape how audiences perceive other people and communities. A little joke and humour can cause harm to the person facing racism. Many Nepali students growing up or studying in India have faced numerous problems regarding these stereotypes. Often being called “Bahadur”, a guard, a momos seller. Using weird hill accents with the phrase “sahab jii” is utterly disgusting.

A Nepali studying in Banglore comes with both good and bad aspect. Its not like everyone here teases me with pharses, accent but some of they do. The continuous mockery of me being a Nepali is sad. They often laugh and chatter about how I am momo seller and am fit to be a guard of our university. I have very good Indian friends here, but some of my classmates are horrible. This isn’t a joke. The affect of stereotyping Nepali is real.

– Anonymous(Student),23

When a joke in movies takes the form of casual racism, it’s a problem. People will begin to assume, Nepalis are only suited for certain jobs. The indian cinema has normalized racism towards Nepalis. This is how the media works. It not only entertains but also changes our perspective as well.

When stereotypes are frequent, they are’t questioned.

Stereotype
Chunky Pandey as Nepali Don

How Hindi Movies Stereotype Nepali People

In Johny Mera Naam (1970), Nepali goons in daura-suruwal stand at attention, their names forgotten, and kukris telling a thousand words. Gharwali Baharwali (1998), where a Nepali woman is hidden as a servant girl, and her son grows up with a watchman accent, in such a way that the work suggests Nepali traits are genetic.

Navra Maza Navsacha (2004) introduces Johnny Lever as a Nepali guard who is literally pushed at the bus door because “he’s used to guarding,” implying that he’s not a human, but simply an occupation. In Love in Nepal (2004), a waiter dreams of being a Gurkha, and the film presents it as if guarding a building is the highest Nepali ambition. Apna Sapna Money Money (2006) introduces us to “Rana Janga Bahadur,” a Nepali don with kukris. The representation is so stereotypical, it’s more like a cartoon than a person.

There are many more movies with this kind of disgusting stereotypes. Indian cinema treats Nepali identity as a uniform, an accent, or a profession. This is nothing but mockery.

Stereotype
Jonny Lever as Bhahadur

Who Are Nepalis?

We Nepalis are not defined by one accent or profession. Nepal is one of the most diverse countries in South Asia. It is home to over 120+ ethnic groups, with dozens of languages. Nepal is defined by the bravery of Gurkhas to talented musicians. The poets, doctors, to mountaineers, the people of Nepal have made a name for themselves far beyond than “guard” role. Nepali cities are known for their cultural aspects. From diverse communities to landscapes, Nepal is different and unique.

Despite these many features, Bollywood has ignored and just kept the stereotypical guard role for the Nepali. This is nothing but a failure of imagination. The filmmakers are just self-centered money makers, who time and again, mock the existence of Nepal and Nepali people. Nepali people are just a joke to them. Such a shame.

Voice on Stereotype

In Nepali cinema, Nepalis are themselves stereotyped as security guards, ever in possession of a khukuri, lacking skills, and content. This does not depict the actual diversity and capability in our population. We might not be producing so many engineers like India, but we’re not lacking brains or modern skills either. We are not momo stalls and melodramatic accents. Our struggles, culture, and language are interdependent with India’s. We are Hindi speakers, share many of the same issues, and our lives are reflective of much of the Indian experience. In many ways, we are closer to India than such caricatures can ever manage.

But from an Indian movie perspective, we are just defined by a profession. I just looked at an ad on Facebook where Amit Khan played the role of a Nepali guide. Such a big actor, with fake accents, fake head caps. It felt so disgusting to even see that mocking ad. Different movies to ads, Nepali are just mocked and used as a comedy gimmick.

– Leman Gautam, 22

Time For A Change

Bollywood is a cultural powerhouse, it’s more than just entertainment. With such a global reach, it shapes people’s minds not just of Indians but of many other countries consuming that content. That’s why proper representation of us Nepalis matters. It takes time, but Bollywood should slowly start to portray the correct lifestyle, language, and culture of Nepalis. Making films on complex Nepali characters rather than just some comedy gigs is a must.

Casting of Nepali actors in Indian movies, writing multi-dimensional characters with love, conflicts, can bring down the misconception of Nepali people. This also means avoiding harmful stereotypes. Collaborating with Nepali filmmakers can lead to authenticity. Not using those fake accents, names is a must to stop these stereotypes.

A Demand For Dignity

Stereotyping Nepalis in Indian movies may have started as a comedy and humour. But as time changed, this has been a problem; it has been a cultural script that people follow. It has limited the view of other people of us. The portraits are inaccurate and outdated. It’s time Bollywood needs to evolve. It must work on the scripts, cast, and audience. Nepalis deserve to be seen. Not as a typical guard role, but a compiled character that justifies both the movie and the person.

True representation is about dignity, it’s about respect. Bollywood tells the full story, not just tiny jokes. Represent the Nepali and their culture. Don’t misrepresent us.

For more articles from this author, visit:  Utsab Bhandari  

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