[GOTFIVEONIT]

Bollywood might be coming good in reaching out to the world but when it comes to creating Muslims on screen its closed to a dangerous time warp. Cinematic subtleties, community’s sensitivity and societal realism are all thrown overboard. What quickly lapped up is, dirty stereotypes and reckless clichés while sketching Muslim characters.

According to Bollywood movies that are currently made, Indian Muslim doesn’t go to office, they don’t smile and their career graph does not follow the usual arch of human endeavor. Such factious images of Muslims inadvertently have started sounding real in the contemporary life. Before such blinkered vision could sync into the people’s mindset, this dangerous development needs to be checked. More movies should be made with Muslim characters that are positive in their narration. This would not only instill confidence in the Muslim community but also take the entire nation on the path of peace and harmony.

If Hindi cinema means wholesome entertainment, it has to break away from its clichéd presentations of Muslims on screen. Indian Muslims are normal human beings. They attend office, listen to music, drink coffee, read newspapers, laugh and cut jokes. They are reasoning thinking achieving and even failing human being. They are much part of the mainstream Indian society as anyone else. Their religious identity is only a part of their consciousness that others come across only by their names. Their aspirations are the same as any average Indian.

A middle class Muslim family wants to have his own dream house, marry off their daughter to a nice loving family, give highest education to the son, so that he immediately finds a job and support them in their old age. These are the Indian family values, which are common to all irrespective of religious leanings. And it’s around these vales that Bollywood cast its magical spells, selling dreams, aspirations to the teeming millions and in the process making pots of money.

However Bollywood seems to have limitations on churning out a few slick films with Muslim as its central characters that has all the trappings of a blockbuster. The reasoning is even though Muslim identity remains paramount in Indian cinema, no one likes to disturb the apple cart of set formulas that Bollywood mindlessly follow while making movies. The political and social context of the country too makes such idea a risky proposition to sell.

What ever may be the limitations for the Bollywood to cast Muslims as its central character, the fact remains that the day, the King Khans Indian cinema would give blockbusters like “Dil wale Dulhaniya Le Jaenge,” “Laagan” or “Hum Aap Ke Hain Kuan” not as ‘Raj,’ ‘Vijay’ or ‘Ajay’ but as Shahruk, Aamir or Salman, Bollywood that day may come to an age!




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