Foreign actors in india do well by playing the bad guy - China Odometer Correction Kit

Sure, playing a string of one-dimensional, not-very-sympatheticroles can get a bit frustrating, the foreigners say. Among typicalmale roles are power-hungry CIA agents, Russian mafia thugs, racist Australian policemen and, mostenduring, brutal British colonialists. Actors say they sometimescringe at the insensitive lines they deliver playing charactersthat often meet bad endings. "I'd get the script and apologize to Indians on the set for lineslike 'Indians are all dogs,'" said Brandon Hill, a film and TVactor whose roles include a British lieutenant governor in the TVseries "Mohe Rang De" ("Color Me"). "Basically, if you see me in ared coat, I'm like the aliens in 'Star Trek.' I'm going to be deadsoon." The actors say that despite India's increasingly global outlook,any move toward a more nuanced cinematic view of outsiders couldtake time, given long-standing tradition and the formulaic natureof the genre.

Although there are notable exceptions, Indian cinema's tendency tostereotype characters, whether heroes or villains, reflects adifferent tradition than that of Hollywood, supporters say. WhereasWestern films tend to be at least minimally believable, Indianfilms are more often about spectacle, pageantry and caricatures,filled with elaborate song-and-dance numbers aimed at transportingviewers from their often bleak lives. "It's the magic of Indian cinema," said Anupam Kher, an Indian actor featured in nearly 450 films and former head of India'scensor board. "The average Indian on the street wants three hoursof escape." Of course, India hardly has a monopoly on stereotyped depictions offoreigners or cross-racial sensitivities, with most Indian actorsin Hollywood cast as millionaires, mystics or terrorists.

In fact,Bollywood is sometimes more open than Hollywood, says Hill, who inhis first role appeared opposite superstar Amitabh Bachchan in the 2005 film "Bunty Aur Babli" playing a billionaire connedinto buying the Taj Mahal. "What non-famous Indian actor could go to L.A., hop off theairplane and get a role with Julia Roberts and Tom Cruise ?" he said. A big impetus for the growing presence of foreign actors —who for now at least are decidedly not A-listers — isBollywood's increasingly global market. After the 1990s, studiosstarted setting more films overseas.

This led to more demand for foreign extras and actors in minorroles, even if a film was shot on a Mumbai lot. There's also been atrend to use more foreign dancers — especially Russian— who are seen as exotic in a country where light skin isheavily favored and drives a $500-million skin-whitening industry. Actors say they expect more well-rounded depictions in coming yearsas India's economy and outlook expand, Indian filmmakers seek morerecognition in Hollywood, and U.S. and Indian studios collaboratemore. Veteran British actor Barry John says his role as dean of aforeign university in the film "Teen Patti" would have beenunthinkable a few years ago.

"It's a sign of the times," he said. Foreign actresses tend to have more opportunities than their malecounterparts. They're in demand for racy roles in a relativelyconservative culture that still looks askance on anything toosuggestive from Indian women and girls. "It's OK if foreigners arepole dancing," said film critic Mayank Shekhar.

"But it'sconsidered vulgar for an Indian." They're also frequently cast as the Indian star's girlfriend orthird wheel of a love triangle, often relatively sympathetic,three-dimensional characters if only to highlight the hero'sdilemma before he eventually settles down with the Indian girl Momprefers. Though Indian heroes seducing female foreign characters isincreasingly acceptable, say actors and directors, foreign menrunning off with Indian women is not. "The Indian male has no problem bragging that 'white-skinnedvoluptuous women are part of my domain,'" said director andproducer Mahesh Bhatt. "But to be conquered by a white man, or havethem take your women, that's a problem." A growing number of foreign actresses, generally of Indian descent,have broken out of minor roles to earn top billing, epitomized byHong Kong-born, London-raised superstar Katrina Kaif.

But they tendto look, act and — thanks in some cases to dubbing —sound Indian. "She's essentially an Indian girl," Kher said. "You're not exactlytalking about Keira Knightly." India's growing art, alternative and documentary film genres oftenhave more three-dimensional characters and nuanced plots, althoughtheir influence is limited. "We still tend to view the foreign as 'other,'" Bhatt said.

"Inmainstream cinema, we're still shackled to the mind-set thatanything from the West is evil, although we've stopped demonizingthem, made them a shade less dark." In the meantime, foreign actors and actresses say, there's a lot tobe said for the work. They're getting paid in a global downturn,having fun and shooting in some of India's most beautiful locales. "It's what we're hired for," Richardson said. "And one thing: Beinga villain, a general, you have fantastic, hand-tailored outfits.You may be playing an Indian-hating bastard, but you'll be dressedvery well." mark.magnier@latimes.com Tanvi Sharma of The Times' New Delhi bureau contributed to thisreport.

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