Link
Some of the reactions on twitter:
And a statement from the filmakers:
One of Brie Larson's upcoming movies is causing major controversy following the drop of its trailer last week. Basmati Blues follows Linda, a scientist played by Brie, who travels to India in an attempt to sell genetically modified rice to the local farmers. However, once she realizes that her company is actually evil, she tries to work against them to save the people, and people have several big problems with it.
In the trailer, Brie's character hits pretty much every stereotype about Indian culture. There's a scene of her sampling some local fare, and then immediately screaming and dramatically fanning her face because of the spice; some locals trick her into doing something embarrassing under the guise of teaching her their customs; and, to top it off, Brie's character wears a traditional sari and partakes in a huge, colorful dancing scene reminiscent of so many Bollywood films. Linda also falls in love with a local farmer, played by Utkarsh Ambudkar, and at one point exotifies it all by proclaiming, "India is this exciting journey." Basically, the entire plot seems to revolve around one white woman rescuing an entire village of supposedly helpless people, reinforcing the white savior narrative seen countless times in Hollywood.
Some of the reactions on twitter:
And a statement from the filmakers:
You really should have known better, Brie.Monique Caulfield and Danny Baron said in a statement:
"We deeply regret any offense caused by the Basmati Blues trailer. We have heard a number of voices that have understandably reacted to a trailer that is not representative of the film as a whole. Unfortunately, the international trailer has given the wrong impression of the film's message and heart. This movie is not about an American going abroad to solve India's problems. At its heart, this film is about two people who reach across cultures, fight against corporate greed, and find love. Basmati Blues is an ensemble musical romantic comedy. The film explores our responsibility for our actions and for each other, and attempts to do it in a disarming way, using music, comedy and romance. Basmati Blues is a love letter to multiple eras of Bollywood cinema, musicals, and classic Hollywood romantic comedies. We are confident that the film, when seen in its entirety, will bear out the our appreciation and respect for India and its people."
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