I am Indian, and Bollywood does not define my culture!

Since I came to the US, on multiple occasions I have been asked, “So do you have elephants walking around on the streets?” or “Do you actually start dancing wherever, whenever you feel like it?” My usual response is a polite no or a hearty laugh. I am pleased with people’s interest in learning my culture, but Bollywood does not define it. Just like Hollywood’s extreme action scenes, Spiderman’s existence, and remakes with newer, more unrealistic enemies,Bollywood is also just another entertainment industry. If people realize that what Hollywood offers is fiction, why stereotype other film industries? We don’t have millionaires and billionaires at every tenth step. We are a developing country with the second highest population in the world and a very high poverty level. I was once faced with the statement, “I love how they make everything so dramatic! All the crying and dancing and love scenes….” No…