Wasted in the West?

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Big B from The Great Gatsby

Unlike what marketing mechanics had us believe, Irrfan Khan’s role turned out to be a miniscule one in The Amazing Spiderman. This is not the first time a talented Indian actor has been relegated to the periphery of a Hollywood film.

History has examples of Naseeruddin Shah and Gulshan Grover being meted out the same treatment. Amitabh Bachchan is not even pretending to have a meaty role in The Great Gatsby; it’s already being talked of as a “cameo”. But while fans in India remain critical about their film idols playing sidekicks in Western productions, industry insiders insist they are doing so with good reason.
Without mincing words, Irrfan Khan says, “One doesn’t do a Hollywood film to hobnob with their actors. Doing a Hollywood film means grabbing the opportunity to take your talent to another level. Sometimes it works and there are times when it doesn’t. But honestly, I feel people who attack Hindi film actors for doing miniscule roles in Hollywood do so because it’s an opportunity they have missed out on.”
What’s driving these stars towards the West is neither money nor fame, points out director Sriram Raghavan. “Our stars are on solid ground as far as fame and money are concerned. I think it’s the opportunity to work with big legendary names that prompts these actors to sign up for such projects. And I don’t see anything wrong in this,” he says.
Film critic Rajeev Masand speaks for the actors when he says, “Who doesn’t want to have a wider audience?” Rajeev continues, “They may be big stars here but they are not known to the West. A Bachchan or an Anil Kapoor cannot sell a film to an international audience. So, they have to start with smaller parts. Even Latino actors such as Antonio Banderas and Penelope Cruz had to do small roles before they became stars.”