Are there any realistic depictions of second-gen NRIs in Bollywood? - Page 6

Being a first-gen in Canada, I have noticed a lot of my second-gen friends and cousins speak better Punjabi than I do (Punjabi is my native language but I did not grow up in Punjab) also a lot of them use archaic Punjabi words that no youngster in Punjab would ever use. I once had a friend refer to a plastic bag as "momjama". They are also more religious than my friends and cousins in India. But, Canada has huge Sikh (and Punjabi) population and culture, so it could just be that.

On topic, I don't think I have seen any realistic depiction, I agree with some replies that Bollywood movies does not even bother with accent. As a kid, it didn't matter but if you are telling me Hrithik Roshan (Raj) grew up in New Zealand in Kaho Na Pyar Hai and never even went to India and has no Kiwi accent

Also Bollywood need to stop showing rich (not just average rich, but rich to the extend of Ambani) NRIs.

First generation Canadian born and raised with my family being in Canada for 50 years (next year to be exact). I speak fluent Punjabi and know my giddha, boliyan, geet, Sikh knowlege, vintage Bollywood knowledge etc. I came to Punjab a few years back for a wedding and it was this Canadian born kid that was kicking all of their butts during the sangeet and jago.

I had a cousin born and raised in India, asking me about a particular and very common wedding custom. I just looked at her in shock.

Now, being a parent to a second generation of kids being born in Canada, there is a huge difference. My kids aren't living in joint families with grandparents, uncles and aunts as I was, they have parents who are fluent in English, unlike my parents, so the kids tend to converse in English more. Anyways, getting lazy to get into all the details, but all i meant to say is you can't group all kids born in India or Canada as being a particular way. They come in all shapes and sizes.

I agree with both the ladies above me. I am a second generation kid and the Punjabi I speak is more authentic than the one my brother's wife does.. who is from India. The depiction of us will rarely be accurate as there aren't many Bollywood stars who can pull of a British or European accent. Canadian / American one is easier, but they end up sounding ridiculous at that too.

I think Bend it like Beckham is probably the most accurate one so far. And there are a couple of Punjabi films that have done a good job too, but yeah that is mostly due to the leading ladies being from abroad themselves.

Tbh I find second generation NRIs and desis a bit jarring. They look down on people from back home down just because if their accent even if their English is good. Like their English is much better than their Hindi/Urdu/Punjabi/Tamil etc. The second-gen desis try their best to use being "multilingual" to their benefit but the fact is that they are not even that good at their mother language.

Originally posted by: InspectorShirke

Tbh I find second generation NRIs and desis a bit jarring. They look down on people from back home down just because if their accent even if their English is good. Like their English is much better than their Hindi/Urdu/Punjabi/Tamil etc. The second-gen desis try their best to use being "multilingual" to their benefit but the fact is that they are not even that good at their mother language.

No they don't .....It is just an assumption....the kids who are born and brought up in USA or UK or some other English speaking country do not associate any status symbol with English like desi people....for them it is just the language everyone talks in ....the problem is that we Indians/Desis have the mindset that if we don't know English people will look down upon us ..which is partly true also....but the kids who have never lived in India...don't have the mindset....Maybe they have a problem understanding the Indian accent because they are not used to it...just like when we moved to USA ...talking on phone with an American used to be a struggle for me because I couldn't understand the accent.....and I am sure the person on the other end must be equally frustrated.....but that is not the same as looking down on someone...

I'm third gen (not Indian but my family is from the subcontinent), and no I have never seen an accurate representation of an American or British South Asian in Bollywood. All the films I've seen where the kids are supposed to be British or American are pretty cringe inducing.

There was one scene in Namaste London that was pretty accurate (where Katrina's character is talking about not being Indian and identifying as British), but the rest of the movie (from the white boyfriend, to the bogus marriage, the inane partying, and the the awful patriotic speech at the end) was awful.

Originally posted by: noorsand

Being a first-gen in Canada, I have noticed a lot of my second-gen friends and cousins speak better Punjabi than I do (Punjabi is my native language but I did not grow up in Punjab) also a lot of them use archaic Punjabi words that no youngster in Punjab would ever use. I once had a friend refer to a plastic bag as "momjama". They are also more religious than my friends and cousins in India. But, Canada has huge Sikh (and Punjabi) population and culture, so it could just be that.

I have a similar experience. My Dad’s cousin is born and brought up here in USA. When we were kids and he used to visit us, he would speak such desi village style Gujarati. Me and my bro would rofl, He still does. It’s hilarious and adorable at the same time.
I think it’s more coz of his parents. Back in 70s, there wasn’t phones, forget internet. my Dad’s uncle would write a letter and that’s how family in India would get to know any news. If family in India has to share some urgent news, my dad would go to Ahmedabad and make a trunk call. NRIs generally used to get stuck in the time they left India. They would raise their kids with the values they had seen. And by then, India would have progressed so much. Now it’s different. We have internet. We are caught up with the world. I don’t think so there’s much difference in my Kids and my cousin’s kids in terms of lifestyle.

My best friends are born and bought up in the UK but they speak such fluent Punjabi, ones Pakistani and other from Punjab but they both are fluent in their dialect.

Same goes with my cousins who were born here, they speak fluent Gujarati at home because my nani and fui nani cannot understand English.

Its a rule we have set in our house too that our kid will only speak Gujarati at home.

Regardless of the generation, its how you raise them that will tell how much they’ll accept their culture/language because kids see and learn from parents and home environment.

Originally posted by: K.Ahm

My best friends are born and bought up in the UK but they speak such fluent Punjabi, ones Pakistani and other from Punjab but they both are fluent in their dialect.

Same goes with my cousins who were born here, they speak fluent Gujarati at home because my nani and fui nani cannot understand English.

Its a rule we have set in our house too that our kid will only speak Gujarati at home.

Regardless of the generation, its how you raise them that will tell how much they’ll accept their culture/language because kids see and learn from parents and home environment.

That’s nice. I see lot of families sticking to their language inside the house.

My Daughter started daycare when she was 1. So she picked up English from the time she started talking. Me and my husband would try but always end up answering her in English. My mom came to stay during my son’s birth last year, my mom taught her some Gujarati but mostly my daughter made Nani learn lot of English. 😆 My in-laws are here, and my MIL kept saying no English. LOL. Now she speaks such nice Gujarati. It’s adorable. I am so glad she knows our mother language.

Originally posted by: NimbuMirchi

That’s nice. I see lot of families sticking to their language inside the house.

My Daughter started daycare when she was 1. So she picked up English from the time she started talking. Me and my husband would try but always end up answering her in English. My mom came to stay during my son’s birth last year, my mom taught her some Gujarati but mostly my daughter made Nani learn lot of English. 😆 My in-laws are here, and my MIL kept saying no English. LOL. Now she speaks such nice Gujarati. It’s adorable. I am so glad she knows our mother language.

Ohhh lol the kids have now become stubborn and don’t speak Gujarati with us, only with my nani and fui nani.

But growing up my mama’s were very strict about speaking only Gujarati, so much that they wouldn’t answer/reply if kids asked anything in English.

Its a happy feeling when kids appreciate our language and learn it.