Columnists
Dumb & Dumber:
Bollywood Style
by RAVINDER SINGH & I.J. SINGH
This piece arose out of a conversation about two events that took place during the same week and the strikingly different response that they evoked from the local Sikh community.
The first event, a gurdwara-sponsored cultural evening, organized to raise money for a new building, was a sellout. Filled with Bollywood-choreographed bhangra and dance, self congratulatory speeches by gurdwara bigwigs, and artery-clogging, oily-rich food - without which no Punjabi evening would be deemed complete or successful. The event was declared a great success. There was clamor for "more of this".
In contrast, the screening of Valerie Kaur's Divided We Fall, an award-winning film that documents hate violence against the Sikhs in the aftermath of 9/11, found scant support from the local Sikh community or any sponsorship from the gurdwara. The auditorium was crammed, but only a smattering of Sikhs was visible. When questioned, the standard excuse was that the event was held on a weekday.
The fact that we rushed to a bhangra-laden cultural evening and side-stepped a more demanding discussion around Sikh identity and assimilation is not surprising. What is more revealing - and perhaps more disturbing - is our mindless embrace of a Bollywood-manufactured stereotype which depicts Sikhs as purveyors of a carnival-like Punjabi culture.
Bollywood is dumbing us down. And we seem to like it. We are cheerfully participating in the process of creating this coarse new stereotype about ourselves and our culture.
Of course, Bollywood is not the sole causative agent, but it exerts an appeal and influence that is both inescapable and irresistible. It represents the growing ascendency of a televisual culture that has shaped the collective consciousness of Indians for close to a century.
Shekhar Kapur, a prominent Indian filmmaker, remarked in an interview not long ago that Bollywood was indeed "our new culture. We just have to accept it". Mr. Kapur has a point.
Historically, India has been a mélange of people with differences in culture, music, cuisines and habits of the heart that have existed side by side. The India we know today has existed for centuries as a conglomeration of quasi-independent enclaves and nation-states, each jealously guarding its own way of existence and its own turf.
The Moguls, who ruled much of the country for over two centuries, may have been the first to encourage the evolution of an integrated Indian identity. Akbar's Din-i-Ilahi is perhaps the earliest known attempt at such an experiment. The British, in contrast, either left alone the disparate identities of Indians, or even encouraged the differences - an example is the notion of highlighting martial and non-martial races.
Has the fusion of peoples and cultures since 1947 - whether by Bollywood or by the enforced idea of hindutva - created an Indian image that is an integrated whole - greater than the sum of its parts? Not really.
On the contrary, the fissures between the different cultures and peoples that make up the political entity that is India today began to surface soon after independence in 1947. The reorganization of states along linguistic lines and the periodic - but persistent - separatist movements that strain India's identity are a case in point.
Kashmir and Assam make headlines today, just as Punjab did in the 80's and the southern states in the 60's and 70's.
Through all of this, Bollywood has been one of the few (if not only) unifying structures. It has shaped national values, language, music, cuisine and culture like no other, giving Indians what comes closest to a sense of national identity. With such a hold on our psyche, Bollywood has also chosen to strengthen regional stereotypes that it could have otherwise dispelled. Perhaps that would be asking for too much. Bollywood is, after all, entertainment.
The result is that even today, it is hard to imagine an archetypal Indian. We still think largely in terms of Punjabi, Marathi, Bengali, Bihari, and so on.
The real danger with Bollywood is that we have allowed it to become the arbiter of our deepest values. The entertainment industry now stage-manages the public discourse around our culture. The result is that otherwise serious issues come to be presented and treated like bytes of entertainment.
Conversely, entertainment has become a serious concern, if not an addiction.
While Bollywood frames and shapes how we will perceive and view things, we are - to borrow the phrase - amusing ourselves to death.
Small wonder, then, that the values and norms being transmitted are those that we would normally dismiss as the lowest common determinants of our culture. As disappointing as it may be, is it any surprise that Punjab and Sikhs, particularly, are limited to a box defined only by the high energy of bhangra at a volume meant for the tone-deaf; and super-rich food, swimming in oil and spices, sufficient to paralyze the taste buds and clog up the coronary arteries.
Other cultures of India, too, have been similarly short-shifted. Any nation deserves better.
When we - Punjabis and Sikhs - accept such definitions for our existence, we help create the dumbed-down stereotype of ourselves. This fabricated image of ourselves has effectively submerged our true cultural roots: a rich and continuous tradition, to which the Sikh Gurus brought about a revolutionary renaissance and a rebirth.
Today, it would be a real challenge to describe a Sikh celebration that operates beyond these Bollywood-imposed limitations on our cultural existence. It would be an equal challenge to find Sikh lives that are awakened to the model of a Sant Sipahi (Saint Soldier) that the Gurus bequeathed us.
Inured to Bollywood noise, we can no longer respond to the subtle strains of the divinely beautiful poetry enshrined in the Guru Granth Sahib. How could one not be in awe of the sheer magnificence of the musical talent of the Gurus that has been handed down to us as our tradition?
They composed in 31 ragas of classical musicology; Guru Arjan even invented an instrument - the Surbahar. This classical musical tradition has continued unbroken and now flourishes as the style of the Patiala Gharana.
Tune in and sway to the magic of the Kafis of Bulley Shah to Amrita Preetam, Shiv Kumar Batalvi - even the folk rhythms of the Mann brothers, Gurdas and Harbhajan! And don't forget the transporting mystical poetry of Bhai Vir Singh.
The writings of giants like Bhai Gurdas, Professor Puran Singh, Kahn Singh Nabha, and creative writers like Nanak Singh and Gurbaksh Singh have become "specialized" tasks, to be taken up by a few. Most of us appear to have better things to read, like Stardust or Filmfare - if we read at all.
Surely, there is Sikh art - from the tightly-designed Mughal art to the flowing lines of the Pahari style, from the clearly commercial bazaar or calendar art to the stylized portraits of artists like Sobha Singh and yes, the Singh Twins - that deserves to hang with the best and in the best places. Some can still be seen in museums and in palaces of collectors with deep pockets - some of it well-preserved, some not.
In fact, many buildings of yore - gurdwaras even - are museum pieces in and of themselves, even though largely neglected.
If our history is undeniably rich and colorful, its relics and artifacts are nowhere to be found in our daily lives. Instead of plays and poetry, all we get is television serials and movies depicting Sikhs as caricatures. The games boys and girls played when they were growing up seem to have disappeared from our lives and our memories. They deserve a place not just in our lives and in our hearts but in the world in which we live.
We live fragmented lives. Gurbani, gurdwara and sangat are something we do for a small, fixed duration, if at all. Then there is the rest of our daily existence, segregated, and driven by a different set of values, that are inspired by Bollywood films, TV and other markers of success.
It would be useful to dwell - if briefly - on the provenance of "Dumbing Down" and examine just what is being alluded to here. Put simply, it is the watering-down and decline of our Culture - in its uppercase usage.
Culture, in this context, is the "disinterested endeavor after man's perfection" or the Guru's admonition to recognize and realize one's fullest potential. To be cultured in this sense, then, requires the fostering and development of a lifestyle, which, if practiced, will enable the fullest flowering of our potential.
The dominance of a televisual culture is precisely the barrier that has made it difficult, if not impossible, to foster this Culture as the expression of an authentic Sikh life.
To be sure, this is not a lament on the passing of a past; or a fear of the heralding of tomorrow; or bhangra-bashing. Nor are we advocating turning away from the societies we live in.
A Sikh life is not divorced from daily existence, nor is it meant to be. Song and dance are a part and parcel of Sikh celebration. As a matter of fact, the Guru assures us that redemption is to be had in this world, in the midst of our daily lives:
It's amidst the laughter and the playing, the adorning and the feasting, that salvation is to be found. (GGS: p 522)
But in our daily lives, we appear to have lost our footing and perspective. Our participation in Bollywood's artificial stereotype of ourselves has inundated - if not washed away - our roots.
And here lies the catch.
As we go about our daily lives, in laughter and in play, our roots must remain grounded in the organic soil of Gurmat.
Let hands and feet attend to the work, but keep your mind and soul focused on The One. (GGS: p 1376)
Only then will we develop the discrimination and discernment necessary to protect ourselves, our lifestyles and our culture.
Ravinder Singh: rtaneja@insight.rr.com
I.J. Singh: ijsingh99@gmail.com
September 19, 2008
Conversation about this article
1: Kuljeet Singh (Boston, U.S.A.), September 19, 2008, 11:23 AM.
What an absolutely brilliant article. Thank you, gentlemen!
2: H Singh (U.S.A.), September 19, 2008, 12:19 PM.
The question that needs to be asked is: Why have Sikhs forgotten their own culture and values? Why have Sikhs cleansed off their own identity of Sikhi? These questions need to be answered before we can understand the effect of Bollywood's "Dumb and Dumber" culture on Sikhs.
3: Tejwant (U.S.A.), September 19, 2008, 4:27 PM.
Deep and well thought introspection. Unfortunately, Sikhi for many has become bhangra, a turban and a bit of beard. If it remains this way, then we will open the floodgates for Islam and Christianity to barge in with total force to convert the lost. The fact of the matter is that Bollywood imported Bhangra back to India after it had been dormant for decades. It was too low a dance for the mainstream then, it seems. Punjabi-Sikh parents living in the diaspora wanted their kids to keep in touch with the culture of their parents; hence bhangra became the way to do that. It became famous and entered the mainstream of the English, Canadian, American and other cultures. In fact, many discos in the U.K. play a lot of bhangra beats. When Bollywood saw that, it imported it back to India and introduced it to the non-Punjabi culture of India, which is nice but this is not the only reflection of Sikhi. Rather than introducing the Sikhi spirit, they mock Sikhs and we let is pass. The Bollywood industry is filled with Punjabis but none of them cares about the true Sikh values. Now the question arises, whom to blame. The blame lies on many. First and foremost, it lies on the so-called caretakers of Sikhi during the British Raj and the ones who were present before the mutilation of the country into three. Had Master Tara Singh not rejected the Sikhdom offered by the Brits, the picture would have been different with the recognition of Sikhism as a stand alone religion rather than the off shoot of some dogmatic ones. The fault lies on the current honchos of Sikhi who care about everything else but Sikhi. Drug problem is rampant in Punjab and these people, rather than opening clinics to help the needy, have their heads buried in the sand because it is considered a stigma in Indian culture. Hence, no help is given and then the Agape crusaders barge in to fill the void. The fault lies in the parents who do not instill Sikhi values. Bhangra is fine and dandy but it cannot substitute gurbani. It is wonderful for the kids to dance Bhangra at the shows but the icing on the cake would be that if the kids could play harmonium, tabla and sing Shabads with the same fervour. Only by instilling the Piri side of Sikhi alongwith the Miri, we can make our kids to be true Peace Warriors - Sant Sipahis.
4: Atika (Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A.), September 19, 2008, 6:15 PM.
Drawing a contrast between the levels of social fervor witnessed at the two events, the authors of this article urge us to re-analyze how we are ourselves responsible for losing touch with our heritage and culture. Developing a lifestyle which enables us to realize our full potential requires a great deal of self-effort and perseverance to discipline and prioritize our lives.
5: Raj (Canada), September 20, 2008, 12:02 AM.
Very good article indeed. I had an experience two years back when I was visiting Brampton, Ontario. I went to a classical music show featuring kids; well, at least that's what I thought they were. They were Sikhs and played amazing music for three hours, it blew me away. After the show, I spoke to their father and said I've never seen Sikhs playing classical music at that level. He looked deep in my eyes and said, I'm glad kids were able to break the stereo type of a Sikh. I felt very bad, but proud of them. The point is we need to break the stereotype about us. Let Bollywood do what they do, we do what our Gurus told us to do.
6: Pritam Kaur (Eastern Bedok), September 20, 2008, 3:21 PM.
You have written the truth. Bollywood wants to mould individuals that fit their dollars and cents. However, not all film directors are playing this game. Why are the likes of Salman Khan and many others keen on wearing the turban these days in the movies? I mean, anhyone can wear a turban, but Sikhs wear it for a very valid reason. I hope young Sikhs don't become like Salman Khan; the turban for Sikhs is not a joke or for fun, that is, wear it like bollywood star, then put it aside and walk away with cut hair and clean shaven. It is sending a wrong message. With thousands of handsome Sikh men in India, can't they find an authentic Sikh with a turban, with unshorn kesh and beard, to play the role? On the one hand they say, 'Hey, look! we show Sikhs in turban who give speeches on keeping hair.' Then the same heroes are shown with shorn hair, clean shaven, and remarking, "Singh is King" is just a show, I am not a Sikh." This is not right.
7: Jay Anand (Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A.), September 21, 2008, 11:39 AM.
A much needed and wonderful article! The bollywood stereotype is indeed no longer acceptable.
8: Kuljeet Johar (Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A.), September 22, 2008, 7:40 AM.
Great article! Society does put lot of pressure on young kids. As parents, we can help. It's up to us to ensure and guide our kids to make choices that will help them maintain a balance and discipline in their lives.
9: Sukhmandir Kaur (California, U.S.A.), September 22, 2008, 3:59 PM.
I'd be interested in seeing "Divided We Fall" but have had no opportunity. The others don't interest me at all, but maybe that is because though I am a Sikh, I'm not Punjabi. I can understand how Punjabis who have immigrated might want a taste of their homeland. I personally do not find any amount of TV movies diminish thirst for gurbani kirtan or sangat. Quite the opposite, being in a spritual desert, thirst increases.
10: Happy Singh (California, U.S.A.), September 22, 2008, 6:08 PM.
This article reminds me of the outcry in Saudi Arabia when the TV was first introduced. The TV was initially regarded as a symbol of the "evil kaffir west", until the crown prince used it to broadcast a 24 hour recital of the Koran. The Saudi masses then realized the power and benefit of such a tool. Similarly, we have to accept that Bollywood is an integral part of Indian culture. The positive thing is that there has been a recent trend to portray Sardars in a more positive and factual light, as opposed to casting them in minor and frivolous roles. Anthony Minghella's Hollywood blockbuster, "The English Patient", saw a Sardar in the romantic lead with French actress Juliette Binoche. Ironic, because Bollywood had yet to show a Sardar in a romantic lead. Until now! Finally, 'Singh is King' broke the negative stereotypical portrayal of Sikhs in the Indian film industry by casting Bollywood action hero, Akshaye Kumar, in the lead role as a turbaned Sikh. The commercial success of "Singh is King" has brought the turban into the Indian mainstream and made it cool to wear one. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, especially since many youngsters in Punjab are discarding the articles of their faith. Bollywood stars Salman Khan and Ranbir Kapoor are also playing Sardars in their upcoming projects. Despite the shortcomings of "Singh is King" from a critical perspective, the movie portrayed the Sikhs in a way like never before seen in Bollywood. The overall take-home message reflects the Sikh faith as humanitarian, brave, stoic and sincere. The movie was filled with references such as "Guru Di Baani di Maan Rakhni", and "Pugg di Shaan rakhni". In one scene, Kirron Kher scolds Akshaye's character for his trimmed beard and says that a true Singh will die before he cuts his hair. The end saw a cameo by rapper Snoop Dogg - sporting a pugg and wali. In the closing segment with Snoop, Akshaye performs a "tribute rap" about Sikh history while Darbar Sahib is projected in the background. I saw a report on CNN International that this movie has broken opening records. When someone else portrays our culture, it's never going to be a 100% accurate, however there were many positives in this instance. If takes an international star like Snoop Dogg, and Bollywood hero Akshaye Kumar to make Sikh culture cool and appealing, then so be it. The sad fact is that Bollywood is a more powerful medium in today's age, than any gyaani at a local gurdwara.
11: Savraj Singh (Pennington, New Jersey, U.S.A.), September 23, 2008, 3:31 PM.
I think this touches on the biggest problem we have as a community - we fail to acknowledge big problems and would rather live in a self-constructed utopia of parties and big gurdwara buildings. Our youth must be introduced to the spark of True Sikhi at its pure, idealistic core and be able to articulate how it shines in the light of today's "western" values. Otherwise, we're doomed to the same fate of all those congregations whose churches we bought and converted to Gurdwaras when Sikhs first came to this continent.
12: Suzy Kaur (Oxford, England), September 24, 2008, 5:11 PM.
Stop blaming others for the decline of Sikh art and culture. The neglect and turning away from our architecture amd aesthetic has been encouraged by an ignorant and philistine Sikh 'elite' who care more about bickering and politics than the diversity of Sikh experience. The obsession with the Sikh self-image has led Sikh discourse to be defined purely in terms of the narrowest identity, meaning that all the ambiguity and plurality of the Sikh heritage is marginalised, and left for dead. The space for dissent and debate is closed down as patriarchal establishments bang their fist on the heads of artists wishing to question and interrogate Sikh culture, to play with our iconography in order to interpret them anew. Our obsession with politics and a simplistic definition of Sikhi, the self righteous finger-pointing that accompanies Sikh culture and exchange, has given rise to a generation that is ignorant of the complexity and depth of Sikhi as a spiritual condition as rich and staggeringly beautiful as any other. The constant need to bolster self-esteem leads to campaigns of vilification of anyone who voices new ideas and perspectives, as well as hunting down 'outsiders' who supposedly are responsible for our fall from some mythical 'golden age'. Blaming Bollywood is just another example of the failure to introspect and look at the real roots of Sikh artistic indifference and neglect. And one more thing. Puritanism is a curse as much as mindless hedonism is. There is nothing wrong with popular culture as long as it does not become your sole diet. And there is much beauty and joi de vivre in the genre of bhangra music and dancing for example, as well as the remarkable range of innovative music that young Sikhs in the UK produce, for example. That is a living, grassroots, vibrant culture. At least it shows signs of life, signs of existence. Signs that Sikhs can be more than a puritanical, conservative people, obsessed with purity and boundaries and frightened of self knowledge and the liberal mind and art.
13: Happy Singh (California, U.S.A.), September 25, 2008, 12:38 PM.
Suzy Kaur ... you go, sister! Your comments were profound and extremely well articulated. Sikhi in essence is an incredibly progressive faith. We can keep our sidaq and focus on baani, in addition to maintaining a balance with the popular culture. I would like to think that my own family is doing so.
14: Suzy Kaur (Oxford, England), September 28, 2008, 8:45 AM.
Happy Singh, you are right. In its generous sensibility, Sikhi is a progressive faith. The trouble is, a part of the community is not progressive and clings to a reactionary worldview that has more to do with simplistic feudal and patriarchal values, and with puritanism and 'politics of the gurdwara', than any true liberal spirit.
15: Yadwinder Singh (Pickerington, Ohio, U.S.A.), October 04, 2008, 10:10 PM.
I would like to clarify to the readers that the two events mentioned in the above article had different purposes. The first event hosted by the Columbus, Ohio gurdwara was to raise funds for the new building site. The second event, the screening of the movie, "Divided We Fall", was not sponsored by the gurdwara due to lack of funds. Also, the gurdwara management felt this movie would be seen by Sikhs who are already well aware of Sikh culture, but would rather have this movie viewed by non-Sikh viewers. [Editor: If your characterization of the gurdwara management's logic is true, it is a flawed one. First and foremost, we need to educate ourselves ... then, and only then can we hope to educate the world, on these issues. Moreover, the film DWF is not about "Sikh culture".]