Of Cameos and Crossovers
When Amrish Puri, known for playing the menacing arch villain in Bollywood, was asked to audition for the role of a tantrik (occultist) in Indiana Jones: The Temple of Doom (1984), he refused and was disinterested in the part. Upon the insistence of his casting director, he asked the Hollywood agents to come to India and watch him on-set.
His son, Rajeev Puri mentioned in an interview for the Indian Express that it was the only time that Steven Spielberg flew to India just to audition an actor, and was really keen on meeting him. Amrish Puri played Mola Ram in the second Indiana Jones movie and received endless praise from Spielberg, who described him as his “favorite villain” and the “best the world has ever produced.”
Puri’s initial hesitation to consider the role may have stemmed from the trend of Hollywood producers casting Bollywood actors in small parts and cameos that require them to clear their busy calendars (Puri was known to have worked on 22 films simultaneously) and travel to the United States. Often, because of the short length of the part or the film’s budget, their fee is a third of the price they command in the Indian film industry. Yet, so many have done it for wider recognition, earning them both acclaim and criticism from Indian audiences and media.
This article explores the nuances of Bollywood stars acting in Hollywood films, how it is often profitable for both sides, and the various actors that have made their mark in the American film industry.
‘Superior’ language or colonial hangover?
Thanks to India’s colonial past, in a country with hundreds of languages and dialects, English is still considered to be the superior language. By extension, Hollywood films are deemed the ultimate benchmark of success. Anil Kapoor, who shot to international fame playing the role of a game show host in Slumdog Millionaire (2008), later acted in the television series 24 (2001) and the Tom Cruise-starrer, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011). He said on George Stroumboulopoulos’ show, “Any actor’s ultimate dream is to make it in America. Once you make it in North America, you make it in the world.”
For Indian audiences to watch their favorite movie stars mouth dialogues in English alongside Hollywood greats such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Steve Martin, Judi Dench and Michael Caine, is a treat and is considered a leveling-up in the careers of Bollywood actors. In bigger cities, English is the main language of education and several Indian actors have impeccable command over it. However, the English spoken by Indian actors is heavily accented and often poses a problem when they’re shooting for Western productions. Many of them imbibe either a fake British or American accent for ease of understanding among Western audiences, but lose favor with Indian fans. Anil Kapoor’s fake English accent was successful in his overseas projects, but when it was carried forward into the Bollywood film, Tezz (2012), wherein he played a character born and brought up in London, his voice had to be dubbed over because the makers found the accent too heavy.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas, one of the most successful Bollywood imports to Hollywood, was criticized for her accent in the series Quantico (2015), as was Deepika Padukone for XXX: Return of Xander Cage (2017). In recent times, as much as Indian audiences like to watch their favorite stars in Hollywood films, they also want the actors to accurately represent the way English is spoken in India. Current Bollywood star Alia Bhatt made her American debut with the Netflix release, Heart of Stone (2023), and even though her role was that of a stereotypical hacker, she was lauded for her authentic accent.
It’s all about the money, honey
Bollywood’s biggest superstar, Amitabh Bachchan, played the role of Jewish gangster Meyer Wolfsheim in Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby (2013), appearing in the film for all of three minutes. Yet, the trailer and promotional rushes of the film featured him prominently and became the biggest selling point in the Indian market. Warner Bros. created posters and cutouts of the film especially for the Indian market featuring Bachchan. As a result, The Great Gatsby opened in more than 120 screens in India, which is double the number of screens a Hollywood film usually gets.
Suhel Seth, managing partner at consultancy firm Counselage India who has also acted in films, said in a February 2022 article for BBC: “As the Indian diaspora across the world gains more economic stature, there’s an urge for Hollywood producers and foreign studios to then also cater to that market.”
Despite the bankability, Indian actors are paid a third of the price that they get for roles in India, but the exposure is considered much larger and it’s considered a good trade-off. In the same interview, Seth added: “What Indian actors also gain is a greater brand recognition, which helps them bolster their image and allows them to appeal to a wider international market.” Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who played the main villain in the 2017 Baywatch film, generated a big buzz for the film among Indian audiences, and even though the film got poor reviews, her acting was praised by critics globally.
Successful crossovers
While there’s no specific yardstick to measure the length or impact of an Indian actor’s Hollywood role, it is generally considered a successful crossover if an actor plays a leading role or has a screen time that is longer than 60 minutes. Om Puri was one of the first few actors to make his mark on Hollywood territory, beginning with smaller parts in films such as A Passage to India (1984), Gandhi (1982) and The Ghost and the Darkness (1996), moving on to leading roles in East is East (1999) and my absolute favorite, The Hundred Foot Journey (2014).
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was rumored by the Indian press to have moved to Hollywood following her long list of films and regular red carpet appearances at Cannes Film Festival. Her Hollywood filmography includes Bride and Prejudice (2004), The Mistress of Spices (2005), The Pink Panther 2 (2006) and Provoked (2006). One of the most endearing Indian actors, Irrfan Khan made a powerful presence in Hollywood with films such as The Namesake (2006), Slumdog Millionaire (2008), Life of Pi (2012) and Puzzle (2018). Other actors that have had successful international careers include Saeed Jaffrey, Anupam Kher, Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah, Tabu and Ali Fazal.
While the presence of Indian actors in Hollywood continues to receive mixed reviews from audiences, there’s no denying that the small cameos and impactful roles have been tiny drops filling the reservoir for better acting parts made available to brown-skinned folk.
This article was first published in Brattleboro Reformer on April 29th, 2024