Bollywood is more than a cheesy, showy knockoff of the American film industry. It’s an amazing, albeit often overly romanticized, reflection of Indian society. And, as many young Indian Americans, it’s a reminder of how wonderful traditional Indian society can be, no matter how much we may try to escape it.
As an Indian-American who was fascinated with but never fully appreciated the value of Indian culture, I was excited to hear that the Smithsonian Natural History Museum would be featuring an exhibit called “Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation.” I was eager to see it and expand my knowledge.
The exhibit, although widely advertised, was unfortunately tucked away in a small corner of the museum and difficult to find. Despite its location, the exhibit’s entrance did not fail to impress. My friend and I were greeted by a wall of unique vintage photographs of Indian families, featuring some images I’d never seen before, and a track of traditional ghazals, old Indian ballads.
Our enthusiasm did not last long, however. While the exhibit offered several interesting pieces of information and diagrams on Indian immigrants and their history in the United States, I felt as though it only granted a cursory glance into what it’s really like to be Indian-American.
Yes, the exhibit had a few laudable characteristics. The area with Indian music is great, the data on how many Indian-Americans were denied citizenship until the mid 1900’s is really informative, and the section about Indian cuisine with a traditional masala dabba is actually really cool.
I felt, nonetheless, as though too much emphasis was placed on aspects of Indian-American culture that in the grand scheme of things aren’t all that important. Three very large sections were dedicated to how many Indians in the United States are cab drivers, how many have won the national spelling bee, and how many Indians own motels.
I left the museum feeling slightly offended, not so much because it chose to include those displays. Perhaps I just misinterpreted the museum’s true intentions. But there wasn’t really too much focus on what it’s like for young Indian-Americans that are confronting modern day issues, nor a full representation of the colorful, flamboyant nature of the culture. To make matters worse, the ghazal that initially made me feel so excited was actually just one track that was played over and over again.
For those who don’t really know that much about Indian-American culture, this exhibit is worth visiting. Although it didn’t really resonate with me that much, the exhibit does offer some noteworthy presentations that could potentially leave a lasting impression on some visitors.
Natural History Museum
10 a.m.–5:30 p.m. daily
Now thru Aug. 16, 2015
sites.si.edu
