From Jolly to Bauua, Bollywood's small-town heroes are always upper caste

The Hindi film industry needs to cater to the socio-cultural diversity of India in its story writing, instead of repeating mundane plots focused on Savarnas

Lead characters who belong largely to ‘upper’ caste/Savarna Hindu families have been an unwritten rule in Bollywood movies. Whether it’s NRIs living abroad, middle class families of metropolitan India or the alternate movies of Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Bollywood has mostly showcased the stories of Savarnas alone. This trend has not changed with Bollywood’s new-found love – the smaller towns of north India.

Zero, which hit the screens last Friday, is about a dwarf, Bauua, played by Shah Rukh Khan. But Bauua has one more distinction – he is from an upper caste family in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.

The director, Aanand L. Rai, emphasises