So Bollywood movies have always had a dance number - where you get a whole bunch of backup dancers to the main leads. This is similar to dance numbers in musicals or on music videos. What's funny is that in the old days most of these backup dancers used to be Indian. But now in almost every Bollywood film more and more of these backup dancers (esp female) are white.This is an interesting development. Since it didn't just happen in one movie and stop. It started somewhere and continues to this day in almost every movie.
So why is that?
Here are some of my hypotheses:
1) Since more and more Bollywood movies are set abroad - it may seem more "natural" that when the hero and the heroine spontaneously bust into a dance song - that they pull passers-by into their in-the-moment routine. And since they are in Canada, Australia, England, Switzerland, New Zealand or South Africa - the dancers tend to be representative of the country where the characters are.
So the thinking must be that an Indian hero dancing w/ an Indian heroine with a bunch of white people dancing behind them is more realistic than an Indian hero dancing w/ an Indian heroine with a bunch of Indian dancers behind them in a foreign location. Just some sarcasm ;)
2) More likely I think this is economics at work. Flying cast and crew to foreign locations is still a very expensive proposition for Bollywood films. Esp as many of the costs are incurred in a foreign currency. Now as the production manager is determining whom to take - he/she probably has some budgetary limitations to be met. So this is a good place to cut - even though to hire foreign dancers may be more expensive than hiring indian dancers - when you add the airfare and hotel and other logistics costs - the foreign dancers are a more efficient option. And they seem more "realistic" per #1.
3) My third hypothesis is somewhat cultural in nature. A culture that was dominated by a white race for almost 200 years finds reason to show off a position of strength. Sometimes this may come across by Indian men who may have a white girlfriend or a wife. Esp in Bollywood films that may be targeting a broad and diverse Indian population - there is some sense of strength in a man who has white chicks dancing behind him and to his tune. (Interestingly enough though, often the guy who is shown w/ a white girlfriend is the bad one - the one w/ moral weaknesses and a strong and ugly love for money. But being with the white woman is different from just having them dancing behind you, right?)
Those are the thoughts that come to mind. Can you think of any other reasons?
8 comments:
um .. Lets see bollywood is racist thats why you see more and more white people back up dancers and white actors in bollywood films. Even when they film aboard in NYC or south Afica they still dont include people of color in the background. NYC is a melting pot there are people color all around but you still see in bollywood films fair skinned people. The only actor I can say in bollywood that makes an effort to include people of color is Akshay kumar, it might be one or two but at least there is one. I Think that bollywood is a great but it needs to stop with this fair skin crap because most indians are not fair , its a mix world out there so show it.
I am dark and I am Indian and I totally agree with the first comment. As Indians we are the worst racists (kinda fair skinned north indians making fun of kinda darker counter parts from south of india etc etc)
Yeh, though they are not colored you can find scores of Indians mimicing the colored (no offenses please) everywhere around in UK (they are known as "singers" especially "POOONJABI rappers")
You guys are absolutely right- Indians love white supremacy and racism. You see it in every aspect of Indian culture in India and abroad. You could even start with our beloved caste system (sarcasm). Indians live for white supremacy and forever will drool and fall at the feet of whites. Hell it's even in their religion- aka caste system, and worshiping the whiter skin or so called upper class. The love and take pride in being slaves- take for example outsourcing. Talk to any Indian and they will love it and not get through their thick skull that it is modern day slavery. I am Indian myself and have grown up with this BS ideology all around me, but have stayed immune to this self hatred and racism. While it's a sad day in India moving backwards in time to colonialism, meanwhile the US has progressed forward, and elected its first black President. Stay in the dark ages and rot in hell if that's what you Indians (the racist ones) want.
I think you should watch MTV India's true life show. They did a documentary on a Russian girl who came to india for work. She is one of thousands who share the same story. As soon as she got to india, they took her passport. The choreographers, directors, lead hero actors all tried to get a chance with them. The idea is too make indian girls look pure, and bring in other races to dance in teeny tiny clothes. And when these poor girls come onto the sets, THEY have to change their clothes in front of everyone: stars, directors, spot boys....while the indian actresses get to change in private rooms. For more info, watch MTV India's True Life to know the truth. Oh and they gave a slight hint as to what movie and what lead hero participated in acting like dogs to these girls.
I am tired of seeing white pale girls as backup dancers, whats happening to these indian directors and producers. I actually miss seeing brown skinned hot female backup dancers. I have also noticed how many lead actresses are lightened onscreen, like rekha, jaya prada, sridevi, madhuri looked dusky in their earlier movie and now look 20 shades lighter and kajol bipasha, deepika priyanka, shilpa shetty all look lighter compared to what they looked much earlier. i am tired of this and we have some intelligent directors and producers to bring about a change. Anyways i found this page on facebook and if you are willing to support these Indian female dancers so they don't go extinct then like and share this page
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-our-Bollywood-Indian-Female-Dancers-from-white-foreign-female-dancers/600270540054000
i mean we need a bunch of intelligent directors and producers to bring about a change
Isn't it strange that these people hire white girls and them Indian guys for dancing in what seems to be foreign locations? They say white girls are roped in because they can't bear the expenses of flying and accommodating Indian girls. But these are partnered with Indian guys for the dance. Where did all the precious budget dissappear off to when they flew and accommodated Indian guys?
Come to think of it, I never see Chinese girls in bollywood dances since fair is the mantra here and rarely do I see white guys in these dances.
Isn't it strange? You say white dancers are roped in at foreign locations to cut the expenses of flying and accommodating Indian guys. But most dance sequences shot in foreign lands has white girls paired with Indian guys. I wonder how the directors suddenly have enough budget when it comes to flying and accommodating Indian guys and not Indian girls.
This is the good old "women are property" mentality put together with a little white feitishness and colonialism. Yes, "us Indian guys should get their girls, but they shouldn't get ours." That's all there is.
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