I recently watched a film where the hero (Hindu) dies while saving lives of a Muslim family during riots. I have always been puzzled and have noticed over the years the similarity in the portrayal of minority' characters in Hollywood and Bollywood. Due to my lack of exposure to world cinema (and most of regional cinema in India), and extreme exposure to both Hindi and English movies (thanks to my father since childhood, and now my husband post- marriage, who have both been fanatic film fans) I can only compare these two industries. Industries because they are in serious business, as they produce/ manufacture/ distribute, and provide employment to millions of people.
Now coming back to the topic of portrayal of minorities in stereotypical ways, as supporting friends, or characters mostly to provide comic relief (Bollywood has had Mehmood, Johhny Walker, Kadar Khan, Johnny Lever, etc. and Hollywood has had Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Whoopi Goldberg etc.) or as important figures (like politicians or police officers). There was a period when Blacks and Muslims got portrayed as criminals or as Dons, and then heroes started romancing minority heroines which added to the tension in the storyline. A very interesting fact is that minorities in both industries have found employed in great numbers for both on-screen roles (heroes, heroines, character artists) and off screen jobs (writing, music, production houses, etc.) especially so for Muslims, in Bollywood.
I had a Professor specializing in media studies, who had his own take on the film- 'Amar, Akbar, Anthony', a blockbuster hit of 1977, in which three brothers get separated at birth and are adopted by families of three different communities and are brought up by them. The way these three characters were portrayed, eldest brother Amar, the Hindu one, the most responsible brother, a police officer, who brings the family together again. The other two brothers (minorities)- Akbar and Anthony are mostly non-serious characters who create more troubles than solve them. According to my teacher, it was how Indian society perceives its minorities, where majority has to take more serious roles and decisions and be more responsible for the country.
There was also a brief period where all negative roles were being written for Muslims, and to be politically correct, and to balance a Muslim terrorist, an honest, patriotic Muslim police officer was thrown in the film's plot as well (Sarfarosh, etc). Similar films can be found in Hollywood as well showing Blacks as bad and good characters.
It was the Hollywood which started showing a Black character as the President (Morgan Freeman in many movies) before Barack Obama actually became the President of the United States'. In India, Manmohan Singh, (from the minority Sikh community) became the Prime Minister while Indian films could never imagine a Sikh as PM, but only portrayed them as non- serious, adorable characters.
Movies mirror society and its beliefs and prejudices, and its quite a paradox to say, if they are inspired by reality or they inspire people in real life.
thank you.
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