Negative and Positive views of Sikhs in the Media

Popular media is stereotyping the Sikhs as either clowns with no brain or terrorists. While Sikhs are negatively represented, they are widely recognized in modern media.

Detailed list

Please help make a detailed list of movies, TV shows, music videos, advertisements, and any other media you find that defames Sikhs. From this data we will be able to make a report which will reveal the more bitter truths about the issue.

Also as you see positive Sikh role models and positive media about Sikhs and Sikhi, add that in the positive section.

In this list please post the following:

1. Name of the movie, album or show
   
2. Release Date
   
3. Please write a brief account describing the objectionable character, scene, etc.
   

This may include:

1. Jokes about Sikhs (ex: Raja Hindustani, Mission Kashmir).
2. Wrong impressions of Sikhs (ex: Shootout at Lokhandwala, Sangharsh, etc.)

Hollywood Movies

Negative Portrayals:

• The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen shows an Indian in the role of Captain Nemo (supposed to be a Sikh in the book), the captain of a super advanced submarine, the Nautilus. Naseeruddin Shah lends his acting skills as Nemo, who is depicted as a Hindu Rajput, given his altar/worship to Kali and passion for wearing a turban and weapons. Westerners would possibly think he is a Sikh because of his turban, beard, and swordsmanship. This is also contradictory to the book's description of Nemo being a Sikh.

• In Octopussy the James Bond flick, Kabir Bedi plays the evil villain Govinda (the henchman of Kamal Khan), and has a well trimmed beard, wears a Nehru jacket, and carries out attacks on the Lake Palace Hotel, Jagniwas Island, Lake Pichola, Udaipur, Rajasthan.

• In Hancock a Sikh man is the owner of a liquor store and is on the verge of getting robbed. He is defenseless and is held with a gun to his head. This is offensive in that he promotes the consumption of alcohol (against Sikhi) and cannot defend himself (Sikhs are supposed to be strong, courageous people who fight for their right and against oppression).

• In Partition a Sikh man is shown serving for the British in WWII (this is a good thing, as many Sikhs laid down their lives for US, UK, etc. in the world wars) and wears a turban (also a good thing, as he maintains his Sikh appearance while serving in the military). He takes care of a young Muslim girl and protects her, as she is lost from her family due to the Partition of India (also very Sikh-like as he cares for those in need). Soon he begins to love her and marries her (this however is prohibited in Sikhi, as she is Muslim). After She visits her family in Pakistan, they refuse to let her leave and vow to get her married, denying her relationship with a Sikh man. The Sikh does a very shameful act as he goes on a journey to bring back his love-he cuts his hair and adopts an Islamic name, therefore converting to Islam. He chooses to forsake his religion rather than his maintain it, just in the name of love. This film is very similar to non-Hollywood films Gadar: Ek Prem Katha and Shaheed-e-Mohabbat.

Positive Portrayals:

• In Darjeeling Limited a Sikh cab driver in the opening scene winds his way through oncoming Indian traffic, racing to deposit Bill Murray at the train station. A Sikh family is seen dining in the train compartment. At one point in the film, the Whitman brothers attend a kirtan, and are surrounded by a room full of Sikhs. The brothers kneel down to matha-tek, questioning if the act itself is actually "working". Waris Ahluwalia shows up in numerous scenes on the train as the chief steward. It's encouraging to see him exploring his range and depth as an actor in these various supporting roles.

• In Inside Man a Sikh is portrayed. Along with being a heist film, Inside Man is notable for having a great deal of underlying racial tension and commentary on racial issues in modern American society, such as when the Sikh man, initially suspected to be an Arab, is immediately suspected by the police because of the turban he wears, and the tension between groups of different ethnic minorities.He has his turban taken away and complains how Sikhs are not Arabs, he's tired of getting harassed all the time, and his civil rights are continually violated in post-9/11 New York. Detective Frazier responds, "I bet you can get a cab, though." Then the Sikh replies gracefully, "I guess that's one of the perks." Many things are shown in this movie. The racism of ignorant attitudes is captured. The turban removal scene is embarrassing, disgraceful, and harsh but it shows the struggles Sikhs go through in modern society. The Sikh remains in Chardi-Kala even though his own nation refused to accept his identity. This is excellent in showing one of the fundamental principles of Sikhi. Spike Lee did a great service to our community by bringing this character to life and in retrospect, this scene would be useful in educating people of Sikhism.

• The English Patient devotes time to Hana and her romance with Kip, an Indian Sikh sapper in the British Army. Due to various events in her past, Hana believes that anyone who comes close to her is likely to die, and Kip's position as a bomb defuser makes their romance full of tension. This a great portrayal of Sikhs, who served in great numbers for UK, USA, etc. in both world wars. It also shows that he maintains his Sikh appearance while serving in battle while among non-Sikhs. However at one point, Kip sleeps with Hana (adultery is banned in Sikhism).

• In Bend It Like Beckham Jesminder "Jess" Bhamra (Parminder Nagra) is the 18-year-old daughter of Punjabi Sikhs from Hounslow, west London. She follows her dreams of playing football, despite the challenges coming from a Indian community and being a girl. This film accurately shows the challenges Sikhs go through abroad to integrate into society, and is an amazing example of how women can do anything men can do. Jess ends up playing in America and becomes a professional football player. Girls can do anything and should feel proud to be a girl, following the footsteps of Mai Bhago (Mata Bhag Kaur).

• Ocean of Pearls is a Hollywood movie in which a Sikh man with a full beard and turban, AMRIT SINGH is often the target of racial profiling. But when he sees his dreams of becoming Chief of Surgery at a state-of-the-art transplant center dwindle because of his appearance, Amrit goes against a tradition he's maintained his whole life and cuts his hair. Hiding this decision from his girlfriend and family in Toronto is only the start of a series of compromises Amrit finds himself making as he deals with hospital politics and health care injustices. When his compromises result in the death of a patient, Amrit begins to reexamine the value of the religious traditions he'd turned his back on. See more at http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Ocean_Of_Pearls

Bollywood Movies

Punjabi Movies

It is shame for punjabi movie industry itself, NO movie has a saabat soorat lead. Major roles played by the film's heroes have their hair trimmed and sons of sardars sikh family. These movies are a danger to sikh youth.

Some Movies:

Jee ayan nu (Harbhajan Maan)

asan nu maan watna da (Harbhajan Maan)

pind di kuri (sarabjeet cheema)

yaaran naal baharan (jimmy shergill, juhi babbar)

mannat (jimmy shergil, kulraj randhava)

Dil Apna Punjabi (Harbhajan Maan, Neeru Bajwa, etc) 

Rabb Ne Banaiya Jodiaan (Babbu Maan, etc) 

Waris Shah (Gurdaas Maan, Juhi Chawla, etc) 

Mannat (Jimmy Sheirgill, Kulraj, etc) 

Mehndi Wale Hath (New guys, one was seen in Manmohan Waris's vdo  
Punjabi Shera and the other one in Nachhatar Gill's Suit Patiala)
 
Ek Jind Ek Jaan (Aryan Vaid, Nagma, etc) 

All have sikhs in them. but name ONE movie that has sikh in lead. In movie mannat turbaned sikhs were shown as "Bad guys" and clean shaven as a hero. In others,people with turbaned people like ghuggi shown as comedy characters.

Positive portrayals

Shaheed-E-Mohabbat , true story of Boota Singh, set during the Partition the movie shows the Sikhs and the Muslims both as good and bad people. Gurdas Mann (a Jatt Sikh) who plays Boota Singh a soldier who returns to Punjab after WWII is never portrayed as a comedian.

Films with positive portrayals of Sikhs

Bollywood

• Lagaan, A really good Criket player out to kick some British…
• Munna Bhai MBBS - I know in movie he is shown as fraudster but these type of people exists so no wrongly done here. Producer has kept not to break any code of conduct.
• Heroes - Salman Khan plays a Sikh with Kesh and Purgree, but his son Jasvinder Singh, again played by Salman Khan at the end of the movie, is shown clean shaven.

• Vijeta, excellent portrayel of a sikh as the primary character in the film…

Print Media

Sandeep (Sonny) Caberwal with Times Square billboard

• A Year in the Best-Dressed Life of Waris Ahluwalia, Vanity Fair magazine

One of the 2010 International Best-Dressed List’s honorees is New York City and Jaipur resident Waris Ahluwalia, who (rather unsurprisingly) describes his style as East meets West. The C.F.D.A.-nominated House of Waris jewelry designer and bit-part actor, who likes wearing tailored suits from Savile Row accented with pocket squares and pink suede George Esquivel shoes, is also one of the few people in the world who isn’t afraid to wear denim on denim. Here’s a look back at some of his most memorable outfits of the past year.