Occidentalism... from the Orient

 "Occidentalism" as a concept is generally seen in a negative light, as it comes out of the conservatism toolbox as a counter to Orientalism. And that is kinda justified, since Occidentalism does not come with the immense baggage of colonialism and the skewed power dynamics that gives you the license to create a dominant narrative. But it's not non-existent. There is a strong stereotype of the Western society in the oriental mind, and with the recent growth of Asian influence in the world, it's starting to reach the Western audience. While it's not the antithesis of Orientalism in outlook, it's quirky and stereotypical enough to take notice. And the easiest place to find it is in Indian films that portray Western characters. 

Historical films from India portray two kinds of westerners-- kind of a good cop/bad cop combo-- the cruel, wily, condescending colonial master and the sympathetic British lady swooning over the Indian protagonist (Exhibit A: Naatu Naatu). Contemporary films portray disposable white henchmen for the protagonist to demonstrate his fighting prowess on or scantily clothes white backup dancers to "lighten up" the scene. The common theme across there two types is that they are cardboard characters with simple motives (if any) and they mostly serve as the mirror that projects an enlarged, glorified view of the desi protagonist. 

Again, this is different than the Orientalist portrayals in Hollywood, where the characters are given motive and agency, but these are driven by the Orientalist stereotypes-- from the untrustworthy Chinamen of the 60s to the meek nerds in contemporary comedy. This is a much talked about issue, so I won't elaborate on this.  

The west have had some exposure to Chinese and Indian cinema in the past. Auteurs like Ray and Kurosawa are widely celebrated, and Hong-Kong action films permeated the Western culture for decades. But these are films made "for the West"-- the directors and artists making conscious attempts to mold their craft to make it palatable to the western audience. (Interestingly, that is one reason why so many great Asian directors fall flat in their attempts at making English-language films.)  

But now with the globalization of content by streaming services, the western audience are getting exposed (and increasingly receptive) to the "mainstream" creative works from the Eastern world, and you can no longer not-notice the occidentalist trends.

Aishwarya Rai at Oprah: The cage match of the modern fun-sized Orientalism vs Occidentalism