When good writers are assigned to create the base of a movie, they come up with stories that are compelling and engaging. And they populate those stories with characters who are original, relatable, complex, and most importantly, feel real.
However, movie studios often hire writers who aren’t as skilled at doing any of those things. But since they want to get that paycheck at the end of the day, they finish their script by resorting to stereotypes that’s been passed on through generations.
Now, while the general audience might not notice these dated stereotypes, there are some eagle-eyed souls out there who can. In this case it was Twitter user @_roryturnbull who got the ball rolling.
Hello, I'm a professor in a movie, I only reach the main point of my lecture right as class is ending. Then I yell at students about the reading / homework as they leave.
— Rory Turnbull (@_roryturnbull) January 1, 2019
Indians soon caught a whiff of this trend and took Bollywood for a ride for stereotyping various communities and professions. Here are the best ones:
Hello, I’m a gay man in a Hindi movie. I will wear flashy clothes, act super campy, be born with a limp wrist, either be a fashion designer or do absolutely nothing, and not to forget hit only on unavailable straight men, no matter how moronic they are.
— vivek tejuja 🌈 (@vivekisms) January 5, 2019
Hello. I'm a student in a Bollywood Movie. I'm stylish and my hair is always in a perfect hairstyle whether I've just woken up or am going out.I'm somehow able to balance sleep, studies and social life like a pro and I also have a secret admirer who has sung a love song for me. pic.twitter.com/lHF3wS6aUv
— chocochipcookieicecream (@Anushka52583704) January 8, 2019
Hello I'm a lawyer in a Bollywood movie. I talk to the judge like he's my chacha. I do not rely on a single provision of law. I wait till the end to rattle the witness and get a confession. I must give a monologue at the end which is followed by audience applause. https://t.co/quKROmSczP
— Rutuja 🇮🇳 ✨ (@HavaldarShinde) January 5, 2019
Hello, I am a South Indian in a Bollywood movie. I say Ayyo frequently, study at an IIT and mostly thrive on dosa, idli or curd. I speak Hindi with an accent & use coconut oil. I will always be a Rajnikanth fan. Sometimes I wear lungi on random occasions.
I am a Madrasi.— Resh (@thebooksatchel) January 5, 2019
Hello, I’m an RJ in a Hindi movie. I’m bubbly & sultry (depending on what time of the day you’ve tuned in) And my most favourite thing to do (on & off the mic) is bob my head animatedly and shout – Gooood Morneeeeeeeeeeeeeng Mumbai! https://t.co/rXUyNzhCYf
— Meera Damji (@MeeMeera) January 5, 2019
Hello, I'm a Muslim in an Bollywood movie, I always wear a topi and carry a shmargh. I also wear kajal, a visible taweez and address people as 'janaab'.
— FurSid ❁ (@fursid) January 8, 2019
Hello, I'm an average Muslim husband, I pray five times a day, pay my zakaat, keep all my fasts, I hate interest, give speeches on human rights in Islam yet abuse & disrespect women including my wife.
— FurSid ❁ (@fursid) January 8, 2019
Hello, I'm a doctor in a Hindi movie. I have no idea what I am doing and I have enough time to do home visits. I also have a pulse-based diagnostic for pregnancy detection. https://t.co/cWcEHyjwJ2
— Parikshit Tank (@pariktank) January 4, 2019
Hello. I'm the daughter of a super rich man in a Bollywood movie. I have no ambition or goal in life. I fall in love with an auto driver/coolie/bodyguard/tourist guide. I run away with him and get married. Cooking and cleaning happen by magic, while i day dream and sing songs. https://t.co/oOlOq1vIUz
— पद्मजा (@padmajasreeni) January 5, 2019
https://twitter.com/RanjThepoet/status/1082272022606954496
Hello, I’m a Catholic in a Bollywood movie. I wear revealing clothes, drink a lot and I’m promiscuous. I am the bad girl and hang with the villain. And my name is Julie. Or Tina, I can’t think which. In my spare time, I am a secretary at a private company.
— Michelle (@CrosswordNinja) January 4, 2019
Hello I'm a Goan in a Bollywood movie
My name is Joe
I only know how to drink beer and play a guitar
I have curly hair and dress as if it's a carnival
I spend half of my day on the beach and don't have a real job— Hello, Kabira speaking? (@SidKSchrute) January 6, 2019
Hello, I'm a lawyer in a Bollywood movie. I always introduce surprise witnesses and find legal loopholes as soon as I open the file. Somehow I handle complex cases all alone, and I'm never shown drafting, researching or filing. https://t.co/hZzCb3WpdP
— Damsel in This Dress (@secondofhername) January 5, 2019
Hello, I am an advertising executive in a Hindi movie. I am a bitch mostly, ready to do whatever it takes to climb up the corporate ladder. I have a monstrous appetite for cigarettes & alcohol. I am the only buyer for all the tattoo artists and funky silver jewellers of my city.
— aradhika mehta (@aradhikamehta) January 6, 2019
Hello, I’m a scientist in a bollywood movie. I never go anywhere without my labcoat. I usually explain sciency bullshit unless, I'm creating killer mutated robots. I am a genius with multiple phDs, but some guy who's only personality is his abs ends up defeating me.
— meow (@eyecanny) January 6, 2019
Hello , I’m a CEO in a Hindi Movie. I wear three piece suits even at Home. Snigger a lot , plot sinister moves against my competitors bankrupting them in a few days because their CEO kicked my farmer father out of his agricultural land to put up a potato chips factory.
— Anubhav Chandra (@ChandraAnubhav) January 6, 2019
Hello, I am a cop in a Hindi movie. I have been suspended for bad and unlawful behaviour. But the departmemt has reinstated me for this make or break assignment because I am iss kaam ke liye most kaabil.
— Nishant Kaushik (@nofreecopies) January 6, 2019
Hello, I am a Marathi in a Bollywood movie. I am always a kaamwali baai, wearing a nauwari saree. I insert Aga baai and arre Deva at the end of every sentence. Of course, I carry the broomstick (kharata jhadu) in one hand and do pocha with the other. https://t.co/39xV2VaUmf
— Shweta Desai (@BeingBum) January 6, 2019
Hello. I’m a South Indian in a Bollywood movie. I am so dark that I am invisible after sunset. I am also super hairy.I speak Hindi in an atrocious accent. I have so much oil on my body and face that it can be used to cook food. I do not have a fashion sense.
— Shruthi Malur (@nonstopbakbak) January 5, 2019
I am a judge in a Bollywood movie and I am completely okay with lawyers who do histrionics and shout when they argue. I never interfere and I am cool with it. Also, I am just in my 40s but they show me as a 70 year old. https://t.co/iTXPIOUKBT
— Mukund P Unny (@eminentjurist) January 6, 2019
hello, i’m a bihari gangster in a bollywood movie. i romance girl-next-doors with cheesy amitabh dialogues while wearing technicolor clothes. i grow rich as corrupt cops do my bidding till a rival kills a family member and i commit my life to exact revenge
— cakehead (@floydimus) January 5, 2019
Hello, I'm a fat person in a Bollywood movie. I exist to be the lead's friend and endure their fatphobic jokes and condescending remarks. I can't have any romantic prospects unless I lose weight and turn hot. I'm also the only one with an appetite as others are vampires. https://t.co/Brze6Ss7B5
— Anxious and depressed 🌹🌱🌼🌾 (@SreePooh) January 5, 2019
https://twitter.com/DROP_TABLE_RT/status/1081536026999488512
Stories, in cinematic or literary format, needs to evolve and the only way to do so is by putting a lot of thought into what we’re crafting. Generalising various sections of the society will only take us so far. However, understanding what makes us human and incorporating those aspects into fiction will make for good art.
That said, which of these stereotypes have you noticed? Or are there any that the internet has missed? Sound off in the comments.