Bollywood-Hollywood!

My brother, who visited USA recently, was telling me all about Uncle Sam and how he believes there isn’t any other country that can beat USA. However I firmly disagree with this as I am a total sucker for history and beauty. While USA may have beauty, it does lack the history part. I would thus any day prefer Europe or Russia over Uncle Sam. But then that’s just me.

US seems to be the flavor of the season for our Bollywood belles, as many of them are trying to make a crossover to the greener pastures of Hollywood. And can we blame them? Isn’t it a fact that even our most serious and accomplished actors like Aamir Khan never go to award ceremonies other than the OSCARS. Why does this constant need of our Indian stars to want to make it in Hollywood? When actors from other countries do so well in the west, why do Indians fail to do so? If we look at some of the Indian actors who have tried their hands in Hollywood, perhaps it’s only Irrfan Khan and a select few (not counting Indian origin stars living in west) who have some movies to their credit. But honestly I would to say it’s just Priyanka Chopra who has left a visible mark at the audience and the fraternity of the west. Didn’t she win People’s Choice Award for her portrayal of an FBI agent in the hit series Quantico?

While co-stars Ranveer and Sonakshi Sinha are hailing PeeCee as the deserving candidate, city based psychologist, Dr. Varudhini Kankipati, chooses to disagree. ‘She got People’s Choice Award but it doesn’t really define her success because I am assuming that the majority of the voters could have been Indians who could have voted for Priyanka. If she gets nominated for the Emmy Award (that recognizes excellence in the television industry) for her serial, than it will be proved that she got recognition from her contemporaries, film critics and people from the Hollywood fraternity. Having said that it’s a great start for her and also a smart move that she chose a serial where you are seen quite often on screen and you leave an impression on the viewers’.

Other Indian actors have tried in the past as well to start their career in Hollywood but have failed. PeeCee managed to do that. Does this mean that finally we are ready to take on Hollywood?

‘It’s not that the stars in the past who tried their hands in Hollywood lacked talent in any way. What is happening now is that the roles are changing. Even in Bollywood scripts are getting diversified; they are no longer the formula cinema that we had earlier. Different types of movies and different roles are being written and therefore actors are getting a chance to show their acting versatility which makes them credible for Hollywood as well. If we look at the past, actors earlier had never played something that would work in Hollywood. They lacked the portfolio needed for the west. Even Anil Kapoor got his MI role after his western-style high-octane role in the serial 24’.

‘Also we cannot deny that there’s a change underway in Hollywood. They have been in the news amid accusations that they don’t have the required diversity in their troupe. Finally they have realized that it’s important to tap on Indians as we are the second most populated country with cultural influences etc. Societies from both the sides are now ready to welcome diversity’, says Dr. Varudhini Kankipati.

Well, yes, as viewers we never thought from such an angle but it does somewhat explain why Indians could never make it to the other side in the past. But better late than never, it seems Indians are finally getting a medium to showcase their talent worldwide.

SOUL congratulates Priyanka Chopra on her well-deserved award.