Turban-ator: Breaking the stereotype

From Akshay Kumar, Ranbir Kapoor, Johny Lever  to Javed Jaffrey, every Bollywood actor has portrayed the Sikh community in the movies in almost similar ways. Not only bollywood but movies from different regions across the nation has always stereotyped Sikh community and as a result Sardar jokes has always found their way into cinema.

The story doesn’t end here, whenever you see a Sardar on screen, he is either dancing in a funny way or is portrayed in such a manner that the spectators are bound to have a big laugh at them.

But somehow the Sikh community has always broken all these stereotypes. Like Diljit Dosanjh, some have broken the barrier and became singer and actors, or as a stand-up comedian they have a made a name for themselves like Gurpreet Ghuggi or Jaspreet Singh.

“It feels weird when you see a relatable character in a stereotypical portrayal. It becomes more irritating after a while as people in your life start talking to you in that particular style, which is usually very loud, which they think is extremely casual and that Punjabi accent which they try, that is pathetic. This gets weirder in a professional setup. It is more like casual racism,” said Jaspreet Singh, stand up comedian.

Stand up comedian Jaspreet Singh recently posted a video, where he slammed Bollywood for stereotyping Sikhs in the movies. “I did not ‘slam’ Bollywood consciously. That video could have been half an hour long if I just went all out and showed every stupid thing.  But honestly, I don’t have any anger about that.” Jaspreet added.

“I got overwhelming responses from people. I was surprised when I started getting messages from Parsis and Nepalis as well, as they have also been stereotyped. And honestly, I don’t blame Bollywood as that is what sells in India. Masses buy stereotypes throughout the world.” he further explained.

Since Jaspreet was a teenager, being a comedian was like a subconscious thought for him.  “I really don’t know how or why but the humour was one thing I always wanted to indulge in. Knowledge about stand-up came in much later around mid of 2014, So I started searching for open mics in my city. I did my first act in my office. And 3 months later, I was in the circuit writing jokes and getting on stage,” Shares Jaspreet.

Talking about his journey as a stand-up artist, he said, “My journey has been short and excited so far. I have spent four and a half years in this industry. It took me around 2 years just to realize that I should be holding the mic in my left hand. The more you get on stage, the more you will improve.”

Taking up a profession related to humour has never been a dream for Indian parents. But when the stage calls no one can stop an artist from making his mark. But all of it doesn’t come without a toll. “Like every other comedian, the problem which faced were standard. Like, doing something embarrassing on stage, telling a joke that people don't get, content and being discouraged by the audience. But, I can't really complain about it. For me, these problems are more like challenges which I should face to improve myself. It is like you want to learn swimming and you are complaining about the water being too wet.” he added.

Jaspreet usually gets inspiration from his personal experiences. He concludes saying, “Whatever story I narrate on stage will always have a personal angle to it with some quirks and exaggerations maybe. Real stories always connect more because whatever is happening in your life, others will experience the same. I wish to keep this as personal as possible.”