The portrayal of Bengali characters in Hindi cinema has long been riddled with stereotypical tropes, often presented in a manner that, while intended to entertain, reflects a shallow and reductive understanding of Bengali culture. In most cases, these portrayals offer a caricatured image of Bengali women, dressed in a laal paar shada saree (white saree with red border), with a large bindi, performing rituals with exaggerated reverence, accompanied by the ubiquitous sound of the 'uludhoni' (traditional Bengali ululation). This over-simplified version of Bengali culture has been used repeatedly in Hindi films to induce laughs, but as time has passed, these portrayals have hardly evolved, leaving behind a stale representation.
The roots of this stereotyping can be traced back to the 1968 film Padosan, where the humorous depiction of a Bengali character became a fixture in Hindi cinema. At the time, with a significant number of people from Bengal working in the Hindi film industry, these stereotypes were perhaps meant to be light-hearted and in good jest. However, what started as a harmless trope soon turned into a formulaic representation, with little effort made to explore the diverse and nuanced Bengali identity.
Actor Mouni Roy’s role in Gold is a good example of how this stereotyping continued even when the actors themselves were Bengali. In her portrayal of Monobina, a Bengali character, Roy's character mispronounces words in an exaggerated Bengali accent, which further perpetuates the idea that all Bengalis struggle with Hindi, even though she is a native Bengali speaker. In the film, her character even makes a comment that plays on the stereotype of Bengalis being overly fond of fish, saying, “Kaisa Bengali hai tum. Fish khata hai fir bhi akol nahi hai (What kind of Bengali are you? You eat fish and still aren't intelligent)?” This line not only reinforces the fish-eating stereotype but also suggests that intelligence and culture are somehow tied to one's consumption of fish, a deeply reductive view of Bengali identity.
Director Srijit Mukherji, known for his work in both Bengali and Hindi cinema, has long been an advocate for more authentic portrayals of Bengalis. He is candid in his criticism of how Bengali characters are often depicted with poor diction, with no attempt made by big-budget films or production houses to hire diction coaches to ensure more accurate depictions. “I feel pretty offended when I see stereotyping, especially the diction. The diction is horrible in many big-budget films and series. And, I refuse to believe that, despite spending so much, a language coach or diction coach can’t be employed by big production houses. It’s really very sad,” he said in an interview, expressing his frustration with the lack of effort in improving portrayals of Bengali characters in Hindi films.
One of the more glaring examples of poor diction can be found in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, where Rani's character speaks in a Bengali accent but mispronounces "khela hobe," a phrase that became a slogan during Bengal's elections. While the film does employ actual Bengali actors for Rani's parents, the pronunciation of this phrase, which is so quintessentially Bengali, was off. These small but significant errors contribute to the broader problem of how Bengali characters are often reduced to a series of linguistic and cultural tropes without much effort to show them as fully realized individuals.
Even films like Mrs. Serial Killer and Bulbbul continue to perpetuate these stereotypes. In the former, Manoj Bajpayee’s Bengali character is depicted as a lover of music, with his character writing "Shona" instead of "Sona," another example of how Bengali characters are often reduced to musical and food-loving tropes. In Bulbbul, the film, which is lauded for its feminist themes, inaccurately shows a dhunuchi naach (a traditional Bengali dance performed during Durga Puja) being performed during the occasion of Kaali Puja—two distinct religious festivals that are not interchangeable in Bengali culture.
Despite these portrayals, some Hindi films have managed to break away from the stereotypes and show Bengalis in a more authentic light. Movies like Kahaani, Parineeta, Piku, and I Want To Talk have brought the rich culture of Bengal to life, offering nuanced and respectful depictions of Bengali characters and their lives. These films have shown that it is possible to portray Bengalis in a manner that is both truthful and engaging without resorting to clichés.
So why does this stereotyping continue to persist, despite a growing awareness of its harmful impact? Srijit Mukherji believes that part of the problem lies in the fact that Bengal and its culture are often not considered part of the pan-Indian sensibility that major filmmakers and production houses are targeting. He recalls how, when pitching stories based in Bengal, he was often told by platforms that they needed something more "pan-Indian." This, he believes, is why Bengali characters are often shown through a lens of caricature: they are seen as too regional or niche, rather than an integral part of India's diverse fabric.
At the heart of this issue lies the simple fact that Bengali culture, despite being the second most spoken language in India, is still underrepresented and misunderstood in mainstream Hindi cinema. The problem lies not just in the mispronunciations or the exaggerated accents, but in the failure to recognize the depth and variety of Bengali identity. In a diverse country like India, it is essential that every community be depicted with the respect and authenticity they deserve, and that includes understanding the unique nuances of regional cultures.
As Mukherji notes, the change can only happen if there is greater representation behind the scenes—more filmmakers and storytellers from Bengal who can bring their lived experience to the screen. Until then, Bengali characters will continue to be defined by outdated stereotypes that fail to capture the richness of their culture.
