Originally Posted by BhagatSingh

Randip SIngh ji I don't think "Sardar-a-phobia" is the only reason for such characters in bollywood. In fact, the role may only be a trigger, the continuation of the typical roles is because they appeal to the prejudiced people of India and beyond.
A friend from south India (Mumbai I think) told me that after Indira Gandhi got assassinated, everyone around him started makinig jokes on Sardars. Now I don't know if those jokes only progated more or were actually created at that point, but i think this is what triggered the Sikh "clown" character in Bollywood. But what's keeping the characters alive and well is the image of Sikhs that was created at the time that Sikhs themselves have failed to change.
I agree that we were respected before. But the higher you are in peoples minds, the more you are going to fall if you do something undesirable. And I think we are simply victims of this fall, and not some sort of conspiracy (like some will suggest) or some sort of phobia.
Changing that image is the necesssary action!