The rampant Punjabification of Bollywood movies is quite sickening and disgusting, putting it politely. Punjab is not India. And India is not

Punjab. India comprises of different cultures, dialects, regions and people, lest the Punjab-bred-Producers have forgotten.

Ok, accepted the immigrants of East and West Punjab were the pioneers of the Hindi movie industry, but that is not a valid reason to

generalize Hindi settings, speak, attire, food, songs and names with Punjabi equivalents.

The sad thing is even non-Punjabi producers, directors and writers are succumbing to the stereotype.

Every second song in a movie is rustic Punjabi.

The ostentatious caricature of Punjabis is interwoven into pictures via magnificent houses, huge expensive cars, in-your-face

KARVA-CHAUTH/SANGEET functions/parties, loud-mouthed buffoonery and last but not the least; insatiable craving love for money.

Is this the Real India??

Personally, I don’t have anything against Punjab, its culture or the people.

But there is a saturation point.

Understandably, there is a dearth of good scripts, good directors, good actors and yes, good critics.

Oddly, even the new guys/girls discovered-once in a blue moon-are usually tall, fair and oye yaar!! speak a smattering of Punjabi.

I’m sure the Hindi viewers will accept a good movie, like recent ones: Satya, Omkara and Parineeta, which have no inkling of Punj in it.

But if these Bollywood types or should we call POLLYWOOD types have the time to un-numb their brains to probe and delve into other

regions and culture, will they truly discover magnificent novels, stories or actorsdirectors to make/remake into chaste Hindi.

Then the obtuse mis-influence and one-dimensionality of Punjab on Hindi Movies will slowly erode and the true cultural richness and

diversity of India will be viewed by the World all over.

Ravin Hari's blog can be accessed at

http://ravin-hari.sulekha.com/blog/post/2007/10/punjabification-of-bollywood-movies.htm

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