Increased references to India in Hollywood movies/tv shows

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Has anybody noticed an increase in references to India in Hollywood movies/tv shows ? . Most of these references relate to India being a technological competitor or a significant presence in Asia.

I don't remember each and every case but from the top of my head, I noticed a reference to India in the latest Transformers movie and most recently in Person Of Interest S04E06.

I believe this trend showcases the acceptance of our technological prowess by the world.

Anybody else notice this ?

Cheers!
Abhijit

T

Rajesh kootherpalli should agree

Oh come on.. Rajesh is given a pathetic role in the big bang theory.
Unless they changed that with later seasons.

That reminds me to watch them soon.

theterminator said:
Rajesh kootherpalli should agree

Really?
In every scene mentioning India they refer India as a third world country.

W

Because India is a 3rd world country.Even North Korea has nukes & ICBMs(longer range than India's missiles) but that doesn't make them a good country.All these increased references are just for the fact that Indian-American community is now the richest & well off amongst all immigrant communities in USA.

Vyom said:
Oh come on.. Rajesh is given a pathetic role in the big bang theory.
Unless they changed that with later seasons.

everyone in that show has a pathetic role tbh

except penny, wait, an aspiring actress who ends up as a waitress, okay, that's pathetic too

All I notice these days is our neighbour being referred as a terrorist hub.
Everyone knows that the smart ones come from India

Sarath said:
everyone in that show has a pathetic role tbh

Really? Jim Parsons is the best TV comedian I have ever seen. I saw Sheen on T&AHM but even an actor of his calibre seems cheap.

@OP: I guess I am the person who don't care. How many actual Americans are in America anyway?

Agree with [MENTION=126812]whitestar_999[/MENTION] though, that India is still a third world country, and it shall be, but not for those nuclear power and stuffs IMHO, our utterly horrid social culture is the culprit, always was.

Jim Pearson performance is what that makes me watch the show.

In that show rajesh is treated like a lab rat. First he can't talk to women unless he is drunk. when they got tired of it he magically came out of that condition. And then they made him look gay and more like a person who can be used to make fun of by every other character. The show started losing its quality a long time ago.

Agree that the show has lost steam but Raj is loved universally. Go to IMDB boards and check

R2K said:
In that show rajesh is treated like a lab rat. First he can't talk to women unless he is drunk. when they got tired of it he magically came out of that condition. And then they made him look gay and more like a person who can be used to make fun of by every other character. The show started losing its quality a long time ago.

Every show lots its course gradually, TBBT is no exception.

Don't agree with the Raj's part, I mean he is not treated like a lab rat, he is treated like that because of his characteristic. If anyone is a joker there that's Howard, cheap, disgusting, flashy and what not, and if he is like what I see on the backstage shows on YouTube then he seems pretty ****ing racist too. Raj ended up getting the best girlfriend after all

Indian or not, he still needs to know to act, I mean its not that he is bad or something, but Jim is in a different league of his own, and then I think Melissa is great, Kaley (she is becoming cheap now!) and Mayim (Mayim is better than Kaley now IMHO) following, and to be honest Johnny and Kunaal should come at last for performance. This is my opinion though, I love the show to core.

I hardly realize Raj is a Indian character when watching the show. may be its just me.

RCuber said:
I hardly realize Raj is a Indian character when watching the show. may be its just me.

He does talks in Indian accent. And when video chats with his parents, sometimes uses Hindi too.
So he easily look Indian.

A

I don't think I created this thread to discuss TBBT.

Does anybody even know, what a third world country is ?

yep the meaning is lost now, third world country originally meant all the non aligned nations, ones that didn't pick between communism and capitalism
by the way, think Indian media refers to India as a third world country more than western media, which calls it an emerging economy or developing nation... at least the respectable publications are careful about this so as not to use a term with ambiguous meaning

but there is lots wrong information, un researched assumptions, or stereotypes. Outsourced is good example of this.

Naboo costumes in Star Wars series definitely inspired by India.

no one mentioned Avengers had a scene where Hulk lands up in Kolkata

Anorion said:
no one mentioned Avengers had a scene where Hulk lands up in Kolkata

And the movie 2012 in which the Indian scientist discovers there is doomsday (or whatever that was) going to happen.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol didn't show India as poor and slum-y

AbhMkh said:
Has anybody noticed an increase in references to India in Hollywood movies/tv shows ? . Most of these references relate to India being a technological competitor or a significant presence in Asia.

I don't remember each and every case but from the top of my head, I noticed a reference to India in the latest Transformers movie and most recently in Person Of Interest S04E06.

I believe this trend showcases the acceptance of our technological prowess by the world.

Anybody else notice this ?

Cheers!
Abhijit

Age of Extinction ... yeah what reference ?

There was a big reference to India in World War Z (2013) , more like a plot point .

The Zombie Outbreak is believed to have begun in India and India was declared a "black hole" at the time when the question was asked by protagonist to get to India .

W

Person A(from India):I have nukes,ICBMs,chandrayaan & bollywood,what do you have?
Person B(from any under 100 rank country in UN's HDI list):I have toilet.
India tops in open defecation - The Hindu
It is laughable to even consider a country a world power where 597 million people defecate in open.Those who live in mumbai knows this better than others.

^^We still live in a country where Govt. Schools toilet are locked so that children do not use it. It is really a shame to even read articles like this.

Lots of movies showcase lots of other countries. But since we as Indians mostly notice people of our country more easily than others.

So I believe, it's nothing like "this trend being showcasing the acceptance of our technological prowess by the world" as said by OP.

Patel Corp buying out Ingen's assets in Jurassic World definitely fits in nicely with OP's theory

If I recall correctly Avengers also have a scene of some Indian slum or something like that.

$hadow said:
If I recall correctly Avengers also have a scene of some Indian slum or something like that.

Dr. Bruce Banner laying low in Kolkata.

*www.digit.in/forum/chit-chat/187957-same-guy.html

They done referring Abraham Lincoln as vampire hunter, John f Kennedy as mutant now they are looking for some character here in India :lol:

The Americans don't really acknowledge India as anything and including India in their movie plots is probably just because it's a new idea.

RCuber said:
Dr. Bruce Banner laying low in Kolkata.

Yeah now I remember.

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I don't want to start.
but of all the americans I have met majority of them were "dumb" who even does not understand their own language (even though it was explained in simple sentences) Keeping that aside I never hit their community by saying all americans are dumb.Which would't have been entirely true too. But these people have no such courtesy they will go on insulting the whole country due to the mistake of one person. Shockingly people don't protest them also.

I would blame our present stupid countrymen too for giving them such importance and relying on them. Honestly if you visit youtube you will see many such comments.Furious 7 - Official Trailer (HD) - YouTube

Youtube comments :lol:

Yea, YouTube comments, lol.

Whole YouTube integration with G+ happened mainly to tackle this stupid comments issue.

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edited

Chill bro.

No one is "chat"ing anyone's shoes. What I want to say is that American's don't care much and India is just another prop for their movies.

I was laughing that you get offended by youtube comments, i thought it was already known how dumb those comments can be...

Many won't even read the comments on YouTube.

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DeSmOnD dAvId said:
The Americans don't really acknowledge India as anything and including India in their movie plots is probably just because it's a new idea.

An average american also think's that kangaroo's are found in Austria, so I wouldn't really take such people seriously.

The people who make the movies/tv shows, thankfully are more enlightened.

Lots of optimistic people here in this thread.

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[MENTION=126812]whitestar_999[/MENTION] Of course I am not a representative of those 90% otherwise I would't have posted that thing.
Sometimes some of these americans may behave as if they are some higher ranked species & not human beings.
On the other hand I have slightly good experiences with french people (Though I have only met couple of them thus this may not be true for everyone) They have good knowledge & understanding too.

Btw whenever I read anything those dumb foreigners are posting against us I get very angry & I am not ashamed of it. If most of us had this anger then we wouldn't have been living under their fundings and stupidity. We would have been a very strong country.

10 numberi said:
If most of us had this anger then we wouldn't have been living under their fundings and stupidity. We would have been a very strong country.

Funding? WTF?

ithehappy said:
Funding? WTF?

Why r u so surprised. India used to be known as a bottomless basket. Still it graciously takes as much foreign aid as it can manage from European countries. If India takes 1 billion dollars of aid from a specific foreign country, in return it wholeheartedly buys 100 billion dollars of weapon from the same manipulative foreign country. It’s not really surprised that most of these foreign countries r so eager to give aid to India because they know pretty well that they r going to receive 10 times in return.

And as for this topic is concerned, I really don’t know why India is being mentioned frequently in recent American or British tv shows but I guess it has something to do with increasing number of Indian audiences of these shows.

NightRider said:
Why r u so surprised. India used to be known as a bottomless basket. Still it graciously takes as much foreign aid as it can manage from European countries. If India takes 1 billion dollars of aid from a specific foreign country, in return it wholeheartedly buys 100 billion dollars of weapon from the same manipulative foreign country. It’s not really surprised that most of these foreign countries r so eager to give aid to India because they know pretty well that they r going to receive 10 times in return.

That's what almost all countries do!

W

Many misconceptions here:
1.India needs foreign aid just like it needs to buy weapons,there are no choices here until India changes its mindset(or open it to other nations,those who advocate doing everything by themselves,USSR & North Korea are good eye openers).
2.average USA iq is low,really,this coming from people of nation where just a few years ago a mass hysteria happened because of idol drinking milk to people of nation who gave us nukes,internet & NASA.

there are lots of extremely smart and passionate guys in the US..
if you go to MS you definitely won't be seeing them.

and even if you did get a job and end up in a indian mini town, you won't be seeing lots of the smart Americans.

entire software and computer industry was built there by americans in the 1960s to 1990s..
then indians took over, like always.

a_k_s_h_a_y said:
entire software and computer industry was built there by americans in the 1960s to 1990s..
then indians took over, like always.

Just because someone lives in US doesn't make a person an American. I guess a lot of people have no idea where those Americans came from!

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whitestar_999 said:
Many misconceptions here:
2.average USA iq is low,really,this coming from people of nation where just a few years ago a mass hysteria happened because of idol drinking milk to people of nation who gave us nukes,internet & NASA.

This example is of such a lower standard. Please don't bring this in between If I start replying to this then this thread will take an entirely different route. Keep religion & beliefs aside from this. Just keep this in mind hysteria happens almost everywhere & its sentimental.

America is not only comprised of americans if you read their histrory its a country made up of people from different parts. NASA's majority of the employees are not american.

Of course there are smart americans too. A country cannot consist of only one type of people. But we are just saying the mentality of an average american which is not much different from us. Garbage movies earns more there too like in india.
Our theories are just based on our(or our friends) personal experiences. Which does not means its scientifically proven.

US citizens are almost as diverse as we are. Only more tolerant to one another.

Also, the US produces the highest number of scientists than any country.

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To sum up what American's think of India:

*40.media.tumblr.com/9c31c15d355ea55393b13a4c391f26c1/tumblr_mnzaprC1lL1sqhz72o1_1280.png
Archer: On god, with the curry again! This shirt smells like Indira Gandhi's thong.

Could be.

This is what I think of Muricans.

*i.imgur.com/bXCFcZc.gif

OR

*i.imgur.com/t7T8bZq.gif

*i.imgur.com/el4g1Ef.jpg

...and Indians are not sheep?

DeSmOnD dAvId said:
...and Indians are not sheep?

Absolutely NOT. No single other country is.

Where is this thread going :-?

ithehappy said:
Absolutely NOT. No single other country is.

I am sure every country in the world has its share of sheep.

lol wait continue just got my attention to this thread............XD

In the 2000s, Bollywood began influencing musical films in the Western world, and played a particularly instrumental role in the revival of the American musical film genre. Baz Luhrmann stated that his musical film Moulin Rouge! (2001) was directly inspired by Bollywood musicals. The film incorporated an Indian-themed play based on the ancient Sanskrit drama Mṛcchakatika and a Bollywood-style dance sequence with a song from the film China Gate. The critical and financial success of Moulin Rouge! renewed interest in the then-moribund Western musical genre, and subsequently films such as Chicago, The Producers, Rent, Dreamgirls, Hairspray, Sweeney Todd, Across the Universe, The Phantom of the Opera, Enchanted and Mamma Mia! were produced, fuelling a renaissance of the genre

Bollywood - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

DeSmOnD dAvId said:
I am sure every country in the world has its share of sheep.

Course it does, I was talking about numbers, or extent.

Anyway, it's highly OT, I am gonna leave it here.

W

10 numberi said:
This example is of such a lower standard. Please don't bring this in between If I start replying to this then this thread will take an entirely different route. Keep religion & beliefs aside from this. Just keep this in mind hysteria happens almost everywhere & its sentimental.

America is not only comprised of americans if you read their histrory its a country made up of people from different parts. NASA's majority of the employees are not american.

Of course there are smart americans too. A country cannot consist of only one type of people. But we are just saying the mentality of an average american which is not much different from us. Garbage movies earns more there too like in india.
Our theories are just based on our(or our friends) personal experiences. Which does not means its scientifically proven.

Again with misconceptions & contradictions.There is a difference between Hysteria based on sentiment(a riot against a particular community in retaliation of some brutal attack by some of their members,possible in any country) & hysteria based on superstition(only possible in superstitious countries like ours).USA was created by Britons & by that standard any one not a red-indian(native american) is outsider so leave arguments like "NASA's majority of the employees are not american" out of it.What do you think a real american should be anyway?Anyone who has a US citizenship is an American & an immigrant US citizen may be more american than someone who is born in USA.

stop being obsessed with what Americans are or doing

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whitestar_999 said:
Again with misconceptions & contradictions.There is a difference between Hysteria based on sentiment(a riot against a particular community in retaliation of some brutal attack by some of their members,possible in any country) & hysteria based on superstition(only possible in superstitious countries like ours).USA was created by Britons & by that standard any one not a red-indian(native american) is outsider so leave arguments like "NASA's majority of the employees are not american" out of it.What do you think a real american should be anyway?Anyone who has a US citizenship is an American & an immigrant US citizen may be more american than someone who is born in USA.

I am not sure if you are trying to be neutral. From your replies Its difficult to understand.

What makes you think that usa is not a superstitious country? slightly less..maybe (due to cultural differences) but not completely deprived of it

Anyone who has a US citizenship is an American & an immigrant US citizen may be more american than someone who is born in USA.

Yes of course why not? But what we are discussing is.... :facepalm:

...never mind leave it.
If I go on countering your statements it will be a wastage of time & energy most importantly way out of topic. Thus lets leave it here.

10 numberi said:
I am not sure if you are trying to be neutral. From your replies Its difficult to understand.

What makes you think that usa is not a superstitious country? slightly less..maybe (due to cultural differences) but not completely deprived of it

Yes of course why not? But what we are discussing is.... ...never mind leave it.
If I go on countering your statements it will be a wastage of time & energy most importantly way out of topic. Thus lets leave it here.

aw its over, i thought that troll wars were beginning..........

10 numberi said:
I am not sure if you are trying to be neutral. From your replies Its difficult to understand.

Quite easy to understand what he is saying.

W

10 numberi said:
If I go on countering your statements it will be a wastage of time & energy most importantly way out of topic. Thus lets leave it here.

At last you said something right.It is indeed pointless to counter my statements with your/this level of understanding.I suggest reading about The New Deal and World War II & US food assistance to India in 1965.
The New Deal and World War II | IIP Digital
U.S.-India: Dealing With Monsoon Failure - The Globalist

From now onwards any post relating to US/India comparison or bashing will be moved to a new thread & if that thread gets sufficient no. of posts i will move all such posts(including mine) already here to that thread.

I guess we lost our way from where we started.

Back to topic: Increased references to India in Hollywood movies/tv shows

The reason is simple. Marketing. Indians make up a significant size of America's population. Further, India has become bigger market for Hollywood movies and there are lots of Indians all over Hollywood's market.

lywyre said:
I guess we lost our way from where we started.

Back to topic: Increased references to India in Hollywood movies/tv shows

The reason is simple. Marketing. Indians make up a significant size of America's population. Further, India has become bigger market for Hollywood movies and there are lots of Indians all over Hollywood's market.

This makes a lot of sense. There are more Hollywood movies being in screened in India than before.

Tintin, Iron Man 3, Quantum of Solace all released in India before US

W

Of course they were,it makes business sense.
*www.bbc.com/culture/story/20130620-is-china-hollywoods-future

Advisor Hawk: We need our top scientific minds on this. Get India on the phone.

Another reference in recent released movie "Interstellar" IMO the reference is bad

amjath said:
Another reference in recent released movie "Interstellar" IMO the reference is bad

The reference was in the trailer too , still

Indian Surveillance drone ...

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rajatGod512 said:
The reference was in the trailer too , still

Indian Surveillance drone ...

Just saw Interstellar, the reference to the Indian surveillance drone wasn't bad.It was scientific, although I don't understand why it specifically was mentioned as being Indian.

AbhMkh said:
Just saw Interstellar, the reference to the Indian surveillance drone wasn't bad.It was scientific, although I don't understand why it specifically was mentioned as being Indian.

I have never seen that drone in the sky?

Gollum said:
I have never seen that drone in the sky?

Gollum has poor vision

amjath said:
Gollum has poor vision

They showed such a small plane when it was flying but later when it was captured it looked much bigger.
Goofup anyone?

Gollum said:
They showed such a small plane when it was flying but later when it was captured it looked much bigger.
Goofup anyone?

Even an aeroplane looks small from my terrace. -__-

Vyom said:
Even an aeroplane looks small from my terrace. -__-

But in the movie, they showed the thing from a very close distance. In which, it should have looked much bigger but it looked like a slightly big sized kite

The truth is the only reason they mention India because they know India has a huge audience mentioning India will make their movies more popular here. We indians maybe much better than them at studies but trust me we don't have other mind qualities like planning and decisions also moral values the only reason even we have great minds still we are third world

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Plus you think mentioning India in Hollywood movies is a compliment for us?

AbhMkh said:
Has anybody noticed an increase in references to India in Hollywood movies/tv shows ? . Most of these references relate to India being a technological competitor or a significant presence in Asia.

I don't remember each and every case but from the top of my head, I noticed a reference to India in the latest Transformers movie and most recently in Person Of Interest S04E06.

I believe this trend showcases the acceptance of our technological prowess by the world.

Anybody else notice this ?

Cheers!
Abhijit

i remember a reference from transformer:dark of the moon,when they call DC for support and a indian tech support guy starts saying about the plans :-o

vedula.k95 said:
i remember a reference from transformer:dark of the moon,when they call DC for support and a indian tech support guy starts saying about the plans

I remember, it's the first part not third. Indian call center guy was asking for details and credit card number and all.