This is purely my own personal opinion post. I am doing this as i strongly feel about the issue. A few days back the TV show "Quantico"aired its new episode. The plot of this episode centers around a Hindu terror group which plans a terror attack on Manhattan where a group of Kashmiri activists have come for an event. The group does this to implicate Pakistan in it.
This post is a look at the Hollywood stereotypical attitude at portraying India with next to zero research and the desperation of Indian actors to look cool and stop at nothing for the moolah.
The Perspective:-
Chopra who had been signed by ABC Studios is under a 3 season contract for the show "Quantico" where she plays an Indian-American FBI Agent fighting bad guys. The show is now being cancelled due to low ratings. Her origin in the show itself is funny, her name is Alex Parrish (dont know how many Indian Americans opt for that first name), her mom wears punjabi outfits (in the Pilot episode) at home and she sounds like an American most of the time.
So conceptually, there is nothing wrong in playing an American agent trying to foil a"Hindu" terror attack in her own country. The issue here is of course that Chopra would have known about this episode and plot from the day she started shooting for the season. Based on my limited experience of working in LA, a TV Bible is given to the lead cast where each episode is described in reasonable detail.
The issue here however is that Chopra wants to be in the Hollywood A-List and wants to endorse the same brands like them, attend the swish set reveries of the inner sanctum of showbiz in LA. But deep within, Indian actors lack the capability of taking any kind of ideological stand on anything unlike their Hollywood peers.
As i write this post, Chopra has issued an "apology". One might wonder why after the ruckus, she is declaring herself as a proud Indian.
LOGIC :
The absurdity of it all.......how many Hindu terror groups are there globally. I am assuming the writer thinks there is a Al-Qaeda type outfit of Hindus. I am not a staunch Hindutva guy but look at the facts, how many "Rudraksh" wearing Hindu global terrorists are out there. And why take Kashmir as the central issue? If this is far fetched, why Kashmir and Hindu terror is linked...again its badly researched writing and Chopra being a fully aware Indian actor couldnt contribute to this mess in a more positive way.....
HOLLYWOOD STANDS FOR IDEOLOGY
Priyanka Chopra's parallel in LA can be Gal Gadot who like her is not an American citizen
but works and lives in the US. A few years ago, Gadot (who herself served in the Israeli Army) tweeted a picture of her and her daughter in support of the Israeli forces in their fight against Hamas in the Gaza war. On the other hand, Chopra came up wearing the tricolor and nothing else on the Indian independence day. She was heavily criticised for that by the bhakt army and others.
In addition be it the lifetime work of the Late Sir Roger Moore for UN, The tireless efforts of Paul Newman's foundation, and more recently Leonardo DiCaprio's outburst at his Oscar acceptance speech on climate change are all examples of global stars doing meaningful non commercial work rather than just earn money.
CREDIBILITY CRISIS OF BOLLYWOOD
Be it the lopsided and shady ownership of IPL teams where Pepsi pulled out its money from or be it the way the Pakistani actors are protected and assured work in India at the time of war. Bollywood is at best the "naachne gaane wale at weddings and films" as they protect their flank rather than protecting others for a cause. A case in point is Mr Amitabh
Bachchan's silence at the rape and murder of the Kathua victim. One might recollect that he is the brand ambassador of the girl child for the Indian government. At best he reluctantly uttered a word or two.
So to blame Chopra alone is not correct. She is just part of the system..........
RG
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