Misrepresentation of Muslims in Popular Cinema: Opinion
Keywords:- muslims, bollywood, gullly boy, alia bhat, darlings, Opinion, representation, cinema
Author:- Kariha Javaid
What happens when a Muslim cinema enthusiast teen tries to find appropriate Muslim representation in contemporary Hindi cinema? They write an essay after thorough deliberation as a young woman concluding that there is none.
Abstract
In recent years, Bollywood has undergone a shift in its portrayal of Muslim characters. Gone are the days when they were depicted as the quintessential best friend, like Rukhsaar in “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.” Instead, a troubling trend has emerged where the Muslims character is often reduced to a barbaric terrorist. Considering how influential cinema is in India where people are known to even worship actors with full devotion. Such recurrent portrayal of community as the enemy has resulted in shaping the narrative of country in very significant manner. It goes beyond mere propaganda. It directly attempts to malign an entire community, resulting in their otherization and putting them in harm’s way.
In this sea of movies that misrepresent Muslim characters, any film that merely avoids portraying them as terrorists is hailed as politically correct. The standards have plummeted, setting the bar at an abysmal low. However, the issue of misrepresentation goes beyond linking Muslims with terrorism. It also constitutes the depiction of Muslims characters in a stereotypical manner of being violent. Seen to be always wearing kohl, throwing in some incorrect Arabic words and most importantly, patriarchy and voila! These elements are combined to conjure up the image of an average Muslim man in cinema.
It is crucial to recognize the detrimental impact of such misrepresentations. They perpetuate harmful stereotypes and contribute to a skewed narrative about an entire community. It is high time for Bollywood to break free from these stereotypes and offer accurate and nuanced portrayals of Muslim characters. By challenging these prevailing norms, the industry can play a significant role in promoting understanding, inclusivity, and authentic representation.
Movies in Question
The focus of this essay will be to critically analyze how Muslim men in contemporary Bollywood movies are misrepresented. As violent and absent male authoritative figures with a special focus on the following movies:
- Gully Boy(Released in 2019, directed by Zoya Akhtar),
- Mimi (Released in2021;Directed by Laxman Utekar) and
- Darlings (Released in 2022; Directed by Jasmeet K Reen).
The movies in focus when looked at as a viewer seem more or less unproblematic and drastically different from each other. The stories and plotlines of all three movies are different and so are the genres with gully boy being a semi autobiographical movie of the Rapper named Divine. Mimi being a remake of the Marathi Movie- Mala Aai Uchaachy, a faulty attempt to normalize surrogacy. While Darlings being dark comedy about domestic abuse.
The narratives of the three movies are different from each other as well. All fall under the category of being classical. In the manner that the films are chronological and have a concrete ending. Yet subtle variations arise with regards to the linearity as the timelines in Darlings isn’t completely chronological and has certain gaps in them. Unlike Gully Boy and Mimi that have a completely linear timeline.
Frames
The frames used in the three movies are also completely different with different undertones of the themes the movies are trying to focus on. Frames in Gully boy play with light in numerous ways and are more symbolic, for example in one frame, people who evidently belong to the slums are placed with a Bolognese dog, an attempt to symbolically represent the class struggles of these people and how their living conditions are even worse than that of a dog.
The frames in Darlings are more inclined towards Dutch Angles to show how Badru feels like she is caged as she is in a relationship where she gets abused and manipulated both within 24 hours of each day. As far as Mimi is considered, to compensate for the movie being dull and how it has discredited the entire concept of surrogacy in the name of normalizing it, the frames used in the film are too colorful and slightly tacky in my opinion.
Mise-en-scene
What binds these movies together despite being so diverse in terms of their content is the mise-en- scene of these movies. Although set in different places in different times, the stereotypical attire of the Muslim characters is common in all. Murad from Gully Boy and Hamza from Darlings are working class men who share a streak of domestic violence between them. While Hamza himself is the perpetrator of the violence, Murad has grown up in a household where his father was abusive and infidel towards his mother and at times even towards him. Some questions arise in mind here.
Gully Boy
If gully boy is a movie based on Divine and Divine identifies as a Christian, why is Murad shown as a Muslim in the movie? Because for even elite directors like Zoya Akhtar who got tired of being called classist. Thus, decided to shoot a movie in the slums of Mumbai for a change. Showing a violent abusive man belonging to the Muslim community was convenient because that is how it conventionally works. This essay in no manner denies that domestic violence takes place in Muslim households. But it attempts to ask the question that why whenever this issue is addressed in the cinema, the characters to perform it are Muslims.
When darlings released and people, mostly Muslims objected to yet another misrepresentation of theirs. The counter response was to view the religion as irrelevant to the movie and address the issue at hand. But how many times should the religion be considered as insignificant when it has become a convention? If at any given point in a day I watch any character being violent on the TV screen. I would organically assume they would be Muslims.
Alia Bhat in Lead
If I being a Muslim myself make that assumption unintentionally, how does a non Muslim viewer perceive the community?
In addition to Alia Bhat being the lead in both the movies, the mise en scene of the movies is also similar in a way that both are set in Bombay and the characters in both the movies are underprivileged. Safeena in gully boy is a bright student whose parents are shown to be unsupportive of her zeal for education particularly after they find out about her romantic relationship with Murad. This follows a scene where Safeena breaks down and talks about having equal opportunities for herself, she demands for chances which might seem very trivial to others but to her they seem of the utmost importance like going out with her friends and partying.
The scene in my opinion is very powerful because there is innocence and candidness about Alia’s acting that make it seem like that. However, one scene cannot redeem the problematic dynamics of the entire film. The cold absent husband who brings in a second wife, a trope repeated so many times in the cinema I keep waiting for someone in my family to pull something like this. In addition to this the costumes of both the movies are aligned with the stereotypical image of Muslims in Bollywood.
The Hijab Scenes
In addition to this, Darlings is filled with scenes of gory violence and the actors have done a commendable job. But one scene that stuck with me is when Hamza accuses his wife Badru Nissa of cheating. Also the casual remark that he has “allowed” her the right to go outside the house without a burkha.
By shaping the narrative in films like “Darlings,” mainstream Bollywood inadvertently contributes to the politically hostile atmosphere prevailing in the country. This is exemplified by the portrayal of Hijab as a choice granted by male authority figures. Allowing the state to impose a Hijab Ban that directly impacts the sentiments of the Muslim population. The film industry plays a significant role in influencing public opinion. So when it reinforces regressive narratives, it becomes easier for the state to garner acceptance for such measures. It is crucial to critically examine the consequences of these portrayals and strive for more inclusive and sensitive representations in cinema.
In Gully Boy, Safeena is shown as hijab-clad woman who decides to take-it off at every chance that she gets. Symbolizing that she isn’t wearing it of her own accord. The agency is stolen away from women, no matter how progressive the movies claim to be.
Absent Father Figure
Another common trope of Muslims representation is that of an absent authoritative father. Mimi seems like a battle between the old and the contemporary when it comes to Muslim representation. Shama played by Sai Tamahankar is the best friend of Mimi played by Kriti Sanon and in addition to being an unconditional supportive figure of the protagonist with no character development for herself; she lives in a house with an absent Muslim father. Her father, referred to in the entire movie as Maulvi Sahab.
Is someone who spends most of his time in local mosque and pays zero-little attention to his own daughter? He is shown as so engrossed in his religious affairs that Shama bluffs him that Mimi is her cousin and he won’t have known her because he doesn’t really talk to people. It is surprising a movie that is blatantly problematic and has ableist commentaries as well as does more damage to the stigma of surrogacy. In other words a movie that has made no attempt to be politically correct. Very subtly decides to become a trailblazing activist with portraying Shama as a victim of the regressive practice of triple-talaaq. There is also a segment in the movie where Mimi wears a burqa because she doesn’t want people to recognize her.
Then the movie goes on to ridicule the attire as she’s unable to perform even the basic tasks like eating-with-ease. Objections to scenes like these are always met with responses that its humor. Of course it’s always a joke and not a deliberate attempt to attack the followers of the Muslim faith by disregarding their rituals and practices as inconvenient. All this happens while Shama’s father is clueless about the affairs of his own household.
Conclusion
The movies that were the focus of this essay have all been critically acclaimed in different capacities. That is how we realize how deep the problem is when it comes to Muslim portrayal. Placing these films in high regard with utter disregard for the flawed manners in which their Muslims characters are depicted. It speaks volumes of the inherent bigotry in the industry. If the Muslim man cannot be a terrorist, he needs to be abusive and absent. Gully Boy, Mimi and Darlings are cases in point of how even though sometimes subtly. The mainstream media is hand in gloves with the agenda of the state, even if it isn’t benefiting the industry in any manner.
A Muslim wife beater is what is aligned with the states beliefs of the entire community. That it is unfortunate that the country is at a juncture where this is the depiction that sells. Anything tha doesnt fall into this bigoted category like the character of Rizwan Khan in My name is Khan played or of Kabir Khan from Chak De India isn’t acceptable to the general audience. The movies highlighted in the essay would have deserved the acclaim that it received. Had Safeena owned her choice to wear a Hijab and had Murad’s mother questioned the legality of a second marriage.
Even if by religious scriptures, they would have deserved all the awards that they received had. Shama’s father been shown as kind man he was to let people stay in his house on his daughters insistence. Instead of portraying him as a religious absent father. The movies would have deserved the acceptance by a larger audience had someone questioned why is it always a Hamza who beats his wife?
Remarks
Till we get the answers to these questions in the cinema. I will continue to search for a character that, even though slightly, comes close to representing me and my community.
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