Doing Bongs wrong: Bollywood's portrayal problem

Bengali characters in Hindi films often face stereotyping, with their portrayal reduced to clichéd tropes that misrepresent their culture, with Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 being a recent example. Director Srijit Mukherji discusses the need for authentic representation and shares his views on why such stereotypes still appear.

In Short

• Hindi cinema frequently misrepresents Bengalis through clichéd portrayals
• It's often coupled with inaccurate diction and cultural elements
• Director Srijit Mukherji criticises the lack of effort in authentic representation, citing examples where stereotypes overshadow true Bengali culture

Imagine a Bengali character from an average Hindi film. If it's a woman, you might see her draped in a laal paar shada saree (a white saree with red border), wearing a big bindi. If she is doing pooja, then the 'uludhoni' is a must. Hindi cinema, popularly referred to as Bollywood, has long been stereotyping Bengalis, as they have stereotyped Punjabis and South Indians. However, this isn't even the tip of the iceberg.

It started as a funny trope used to induce laughter among the audience, as might have been the case with the 1968 film Padosan. With a significant number of people in the Hindi film industry being Bengalis when it started, the tropes were taken in jest. But over the years, it went on and on, with minimal changes being made, so much so that even Bengali actors portraying Bengali characters would mispronounce deliberately (case in point, Mouni Roy's character in Reema Kagti's Gold).

On today's Cinematic Saturday, we try and understand how there has been a systematic stereotyping of Bengalis in Hindi cinema that is continuing in recent times as well. Celebrated director Srijit Mukherji also shares his input and how this can be avoided and Bengalis can be portrayed with authenticity.

What's so wrong with the portrayal of Bengali in Hindi films?

Bengali is the second most-spoken language of India after Hindi, with 8.3 percent of the population speaking it across the nation (according to the 2011 Census). And yet, there are so many films that come out each year with Bengalis being misrepresented, or worse, stereotyped. There have been two recent releases that have a Bengali connection. While on one hand, there is Anees Bazmeee's Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 and on the other, there is Shoojit Sircar's I Want To Talk. Both are starkly different in the portrayal of Bengali characters - one falling victim to stereotyping and the other getting it perfectly right.

The former features several characters who are Bengalis. And one of the most jarring things that any Bengali would probably catch first is Vijaz Raaz's introductory dialogue where he says that he is the king and the one on the wheelchair (played by Bengali actor Kanchan Mullick) is his 'angrakshak'.

Now, one may argue that it was done to make the non-Bengalis understand what was being said on screen. But, with a rising population of Indians consuming regional films, as well as TV shows in a completely different language like Korean, would subtitles not have sufficed?

In fact, this is also a problem that noted director Srijit Mukherji, known for Bengali films like Baishe Shrabon and, more recently, Tekka and Hindi films like Sherdil: The Pilbhit Saga and Shabaash Mithu, finds while watching some Hindi films.

"I feel pretty offended when I see stereotyping, especially the diction. The diction is horrible in many big-budget films and series. And, I refuse to believe that, despite spending so much, a language coach or diction coach can't be employed by big production houses. It's really very sad," he lamented while speaking exclusively with India Today Digital.

It is also true for films like Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. One doesn't need to put a picture of Rabindranath Thakur to show a Bengali family, do they? As one might argue that the film shows several stereotypes, only to debunk them later and that it also employed actual Bengali actors as Rani's parents, the problem with diction can't be overlooked. In fact, Rani says 'khela hobe' in the film, a phrase that became Bengal's slogan during elections. It's just two words, and yet the pronunciation is starkly off.

What the 'Phish' - deliberate mispronunciation and messed-up diction

That's not all the problem - the attempted change of every 'A' to 'O' and saying the same things in Hindi to make it so-called Bengali - is way too common in Bollywood. There are also cases, like in Reema Kagti's Gold, where a Bengali character, Monobina, played by an actual Bengali - Mouni Roy, mispronounces Hindi because Bengalis can't speak Hindi after all. In fact, she further stereotypes by saying, "Kaisa Bengali hai tum. Fish khata hai fir bhi akol nahi hai (What kind of Bengali are you? You eat fish and still aren't intelligent)?", not just in the funniest of accents but also insinuating that all Bengalis eat fish.

When this woman beckons her husband, he comes by saying 'Dugga Dugga', something Bengalis say to wish people a safe journey. We are sure that a Bengali diction coach would have come in handy, and our leading lady could have done better.

Watch this clip between 1:45 seconds and 2:25 seconds.

To make things look Bengali, some characters are also given catchphrases, like 'Uri Baba'. Now, when you come across a Bengali, you will probably never find anyone using the phrase. You may come across something like 'Ore baba', which is like the Bengali version of Oh My God. The frustrating stereotypes, however, make the larger population think otherwise.

Other Bengali stereotyping

Another painful example would be Mrs Serial Killer, where the character played by Manoj Bajpayee, Joy, is a Bengali. So he writes Shona for Sona and plays a song while killing people, because Bengalis love music, don't they? Well, 'ami je tomar chhin chhin chhin' should ring a bell by this time (This also remains the one that engrages yours truly, more than an entire issh in the Bairi Piya song from Devdas).

Srijit Mukherji pointed out incongruences that appear in several films. He shared the example of Bulbbul, a film otherwise praised for the portrayal of women, where dhunuchi naach, a celebratory dance that Bengalis perform during Durga Puja, was shown during the occasion of Kaali Puja.

Why does the stereotyping still continue?

What one would, naturally, wonder is why this has not stopped yet. "Maybe because no one has protested against it," opines Srijit Mukherji, adding, "It is weird and sad, but also the way it is."

The director also added, "Somehow, Bengal is not considered a part of pan-India sensibilities. I have tried to push stories set in Bengal or characters who are Bengalis. I was told by platforms that they need something which is more Pan-India."

Are all representations faulty?

It should also be clarified that not all Hindi films represent Bengalis in the same stereotypical light. Most ones with accurate depiction are by Bengali directors. So, films like Kahaani, Parineeta, Piku and I Want To Talk beautifully bring the culture and nitty-gritty of the population alive.

We hope the others take cue from their colleagues.

Srijit Mukherji's interview by Anindita Mukhopadhyay