When it comes to the representation of South Indians, Bollywood has left no stone unturned to go the extra mile to demarcate them from the ‘regular’ folk. The crude classification of Madrasi’s, which groups people from all the southern states without taking the pains of distinguishing between their diverse cultures, has found its way into Bollywood time and again. We take a look at 4 popular movies that have upheld this trend.
Padosan (1968)
It is one of the first popular Hindi movies that laid the foundation for the Madrasi stereotype. The unabashed excess of ‘Aiyos’ and ‘Kyaji’s that the southern characters relied on for progression of conversations, or simply to be made sound alien, can trace their lineage back to this cinematic gem. The legendary Mehmood’s character, Master Pillai, can be considered as the archetypal South Indian who continues to exist in to this day. The characteristic Kudumi (the headknot), the pattai (markings on the forehead) and the silk Dhoti and Shirt accompanied by the angostram (the piece of cloth around the shoulder) that Mehmood adorned in the movie, are some of the visual elements that continue to be relied on to represent a South Indian on screen to this day. Also, the hammy accent coupled with exaggerated expressions, have become a mainstay in movies and television shows that have South Indian characters in them.
Bombay to Goa (1972)
Murki and Pakoda Kadhir in Bombay to Goa
This laughter riot was Amitabh Bacchan’s first outing as the leading man. Supported by a large ensemble consisting of heavyweights such as Shatrugan Sinha and Mehmood, Bombay to Goa managed to skillfully go in multiple directions yet not lose it coherence. Something that modern day no brainers with similar intentions such as the Golmaal franchise fail to recreate. However, despite evoking the comedic prowess of its cast for the desired humour, the movie did not spare the poor South Indian on screen to magnify its hilarity. Comic legend Mukri played the patriarch of a rollicking South Indian family that the lead characters are sharing a bus journey with. The family doled out excessive Southern ham that took the stereotype in promising directions for future movies to build upon. The recurring line “Appa Pakoda (Dad I want Pakoda)” by the overweight son, not only poked fun at the Madrasi stereotype, but also the fat guy typecast. Talk about double whammy!
Dayavan (1988)
The remake of the Tamil movie, Nayakan, starring Kamal Hassan, Dayavan is a victim of its own earnestness. The original, which was about a Tamil don in Dharavi, would have been better off had the nativity of the story changed. However, in a bid to stay true to the original movie, the Vinod Khanna and Feroze Khan starrer unassumingly played into the old stereotypes to provide ‘authenticity’ to the characters. With Hindi actors attempting in vain to convince audiences of their ‘Tamilness’ with their odd accent and attire, Dayavan unintentionally resounded some stereotypes. However, unlike some movies on the list, Dayavan by no measure was a bad movie. It was a brave attempt at recreating a classic and was studded with outstanding performances by Khanna, Khan, and Madhuri Dixit, among others.
Agneepath(1990)
Mithun Chakraborty as Krishnan Iyer in Agneepath
Before deliberating on the subject of stereotypical representations, let us establish that Agneepath was a good movie. Amitabh Bacchan’s portrayal of Vijay Deenanath Chauhan towards the end of his era as the angry young man coupled with powerful dialogues and action makes this movie a compelling watch nearly 3 decades later. However, Mithun Chakraborty’s character, Krishnan Iyer MA, is irrefutably one of the most stereotypical portrayals of a Tamilian or South Indian in Bollywood. Chakraborty’s portrayal of the heavy accented Krishnan Iyer Yam-Ye(how he pronounces his MA), while amusing and likeable, re-established the trope surrounding South Indians eternized by various similar portrayals. The popular song, “Lungi Uthathi, Tumko Disco Dikhathi”, is perhaps one of the most culturally insensitive song penned about South Indians. Despite its best intentions to provide a macho and grim Vijay with a flamboyant side kick in Krishnan, Agneepath made a lasting contribution in the immortalizing of the South Indian stereotype in Bollywood.
Watch out for the second part of the article.