TIME: What about Bollywood's problem with plagiarism?

(Rahul)Bose: Everybody plagiarizes. The only difference here is that no one pays for remake rights. It is illegal and corrupt. But then, this is India, not Singapore. I met Quentin Tarantino and he'd heard about Kaante, which borrowed a lot from Reservoir Dogs. And he was so thrilled. He said, "I ripped that off from Hong Kong and now you guys have taken it from me.' Imitation is a form of flattery, you see.

http://www.time.com/time/asia/covers/50 ... _bose.html


Unfortunately Sanjay Gupta ain't no Quentin Tarantino.

I agree wholeheartedly with this. Most these films being produced by Indians in North America seem to have this theme. It's been beaten to death. And if they're not doing this, we have people like Viraj Patel (Lethal Intentionz) doing standard b-movie genre pictures, just with Indian characters. Or idiotic stuff like Where's the Party Yaar.



I'd prefer it if instead of megastars fromm India crossing over we have South Asians who live in the US/Canada breaking into these films. The situation seems to be better in films and TV shows from the UK.

SRK with Tom Cruise, I will avoid that movie for sure!

dragunr2, which of the movies dealing with identity have been done well?

Look what Hollywood done to poor Jackie Chan with all the damn buddy movies

I liked American Desi, but it was the first big film in this new wave, so it is very dated. I also liked Bend it like Beckham. One that I doubt anyone here as seen is Far from India. The story was standard. Indian guy falling in love with white girl, both people's parents don't like it. Basically it is like an Indian film. Treatment wasn't brilliant, but I liked the cinematography, so I give it an edge.

I haven't seen any independent Indian-American films that were outstanding. No equivalents of Pi or Sex, Lies, and Videotape for this genre, but as long as these guys are making films that only Indians will get, they will continue to stay in that very specific genre. They're mostly middle or the road IMO with a few that stand above the crowd. Trade Offs was good because it treats its characters as humans first and Indians second. Yes, the characters have Indianness in them, which is fine, but it is not the overriding theme of the film. It is about the universal ideas of greed/ambition and the need to be loved. We need more films where the characters happen to be Indian and the story doesn't revolve around them being Indian.



Give me Drunken Master over Rush Hour any day!

dragunr2, i asked that question because i didn't agree with your comment about the need for having less films about identity. the theme has not "been beaten to death", but the same amateurish treatment of the theme has perhaps been beaten to death. i always hear people faulting movies for having "the same old story", but i think the real problem is the lack of creativity in telling that story. people who are not creative will make crap regardless of their "different" theme or story.

Another one I liked was East is East. There was also a funny short film called Diwali that was about an 2nd generation Indian who meets a student from India and tries to impress him with his newly acquired knowledge of India. There is one funny scene in which two guys are arguing about India and Pakistan and he starts talking about Kashmir, but it turns out they are talking about cricket

So few films are made by NRI and 2nd generation filmmakers that any of those types of films stand out. It doesn't necessarily have to be a film about a character struggling about "Am I Indian or American/British/Canadian/whatever?" I am including any film these days that presents Indian and Western as a dichotomy. American Desi is about an Indian who doesn't like his culture and falls in love with an Indian girl, which forces him to try to learn about it. Bend it Like Beckham is in a way about what it means to be a British girl versus a "proper" Indian girl. East is East is about biracial children whose father wants them to be more traditional Pakistani while they are raised in the UK and are half British. One could say this even goes back to Mississippi Masala, if not further.

That such films are made indicates that people do struggle with Indian vs. Western values at times, but I don't believe there is much more that can be done with the theme. In any case, Indian American cinema has not had a Joy Luck Club or She's Gotta Have it to spark serious interest in these films outside the insular South Asian communities. The films are slowly improving, and I think the upcoming Flavors seems promising.

that scene from "diwali" sounds like just the type of material that has not been dealt with enough (to my limited knowledge). that scene highlights the problems faced by many 2nd generation NRIs -- and immigrants in general -- in their construction of personal identity. when you are a minority in your country of birth/upbringing, you are defined less by your nationality and thus have more freedom in the construction of your personal identity. these second generation immigrants have to piece together an identity from varying sources and sometimes what they think they have constructed is not the reality. for instance, that 2nd generation indian from "diwali" thinks he has constructed an authentic "indian" identity, but finds out that "true" indians care more for cricket than kashmir. my point: this topic seems like interesting film/book material and should be explored!

The films that cover these usually cover it from sort of a shallow perspective. Not liking Indian movies/music/food/religion/etc., not having any Indian friends, things like that. If we get something that is serious and deep, I would welcome it. If someone were to get their impression of 2nd generation Indians from these films, they would think we are all conflicted people, often with repressive parents!