From Jolly to Bauua, Bollywood's small-town heroes are always upper caste

From Jolly to Bauua, Bollywood's residential community saints are constantly upper position The Hindi film industry needs to cater to the socio-cultural diversity of India in its story writing, instead of repeating mundane plots focused on Savarnas

Shahrukh Khan-starrer 'Zero' is only the latest Hindi movie to flaunt the protagonist's upper-caste identity Entertainment News : Lead characters who belong largely to ‘upper’ caste/Savarna Hindu families have been an unwritten rule in Bollywood

movies. Whether it’s NRIs living abroad, middle class families of metropolitan India or the alternate movies of Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Bollywood has mostly showcased the stories of Savarnas alone.

This trend has not changed with Bollywood’s new-found love – the smaller towns of north India.

Zero, which hit the screens last Friday, is about a dwarf, Bauua, played by Shah Rukh Khan. But Bauua has one more distinction – he is from an upper caste family in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.

The director, Aanand L. Rai, emphasises on the protagonist’s caste background by flaunting his janeu, the ‘sacred’ thread worn by Brahmins.

Rai has a history of showcasing Savarna lead characters in his films. In Raanjhanaa, Dhanush plays the role of Kundan Shankar, a Tamil Brahmin from Varanasi. In both the Tanu Weds Manu films, Madhavan plays Manu Sharma, and Kangana plays Tanu Trivedi – both Brahmins.

In Zero, Rai ensures that focus remains on Bauua’s ‘sacred’ thread from start to end; it is shown clearly in...read more

→News Source:BS/Business Standard←