Is It Time To Remake The Party?

2. The period details can be easily altered There are certain things about The Party that you wouldn€™t get away with in 2012 €“ the most glaring of these being the lead actor blacking up (or rather browning up) to play the role of an Indian. While the film doesn€™t make fun of the character€™s race, or use it as an explanation for his clumsy behaviour, using blackface etc. in such a casual way is no longer acceptable. The only times when it could be acceptable is if it being used to expose and satirise racism or stupidity, like Robert Downey Jr.€™s character in Tropic Thunder or the leads in Spike Lee€™s Bamboozled. But to echo my first point, these things about The Party are not integral to the story. Peter Sellers played an Indian in the originalbecause his Indian characters on The Goon Show had been popular and interest in Indian culture was growing. If the director of a remake was insistent on keeping the lead character an Indian, there are plenty of young Indian talents out there to choose from. Or perhaps we could reverse the roles, having the lead as an American being invited to a party in India? Either way, the possibilities are plentiful.