Indian actor’s accent sparks debate on Singaporeans’ attitude to race
Vilification of Lion City actor who complained of being stereotyped during an audition for Ah Boys to Men 4 only underlines the difficulties minorities face in getting their voices heard, say comedians
For all the talk of Singapore’s no-nonsense approach to managing ethnic peace, the Lion City is unabashed about its fondness for racially tinged humour.
Local comedians draw the loudest guffaws when they spoof stereotypes of the country’s major races – the Chinese is always a money grubber, the Malay is work-shy, and the Indian a recalcitrant alcoholic. Few bat their eyelids when television sitcoms and big-screen local comedies feature minority actors putting on exaggerated accents – even though most Singaporeans speak with a common local twang.
The acceptance of this brand of slapstick racial humour is seen by some as a way for Singaporeans to grapple with an otherwise taboo topic – the government says unbridled public debate on race can stoke tensions – but not all are convinced it is benign.
This week, a local actor of Indian descent sparked a fierce online debate after he complained of being asked to put on a strong Indian accent while auditioning for the upcoming comedy film Ah Boys to Men 4.
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In a Facebook post, Shrey Bhargava, 22, said the episode put on display “the racist humour our country thrives on”. “I wanted to decline to perform and say they had the power to choose not to force an Indian accent on their Indian character, because that would make them more authentically Singaporean, but I didn’t,” the young actor said. “I put on a fake Indian accent and performed and it felt horrible.”