India doesn’t need the West to criticize it when some of our own are doing a spectacular job of dragging the country down…all for a bit of spotlight. Case in point: Adi Shankar, the executive producer behind Netflix’s Devil May Cry anime.

While promoting the series, he decided to toss his hometown, Kolkata, under the bus, painting it in broad, bleak strokes as if poverty is the only thing the city has to offer. This wasn’t a thoughtful critique or nuanced reflection. This was lazy, stereotypical Bs meant to appeal to Western audiences who already view India through a one-dimensional lens.

And for what? To add some depth to an animated video game adaptation? If that’s the price for marketing a show, then maybe the show isn’t as bold or visionary as it pretends to be.

From Kolkata to clout-chasing: Adi Shankar’s stereotype playbook

In a recent interview,...