| Pitfall | Why It Fails | Better Approach | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Showing a "typical" Indian wearing a turban and eating naan. | Specify region: "A Punjabi family in Delhi." | | Ignoring the Middle Class | Only showing extreme wealth (palaces) or extreme poverty. | Focus on the 300M middle-class: modest homes, school fees, weekend outings. | | Cow as only sacred animal | Yes, but rats (Karni Mata temple), snakes (Nag Panchami), and elephants (Ganesha) also have deep symbolism. | Show diverse reverence for nature. | | All food is spicy | Many Indian dishes are sweet (Gujarati), subtle (Bengali), or tangy (Tamil). | Explain tadka (tempering) and regional flavor profiles. | | Men as aggressive, women as submissive | Modern Indian metros have assertive women and gentle men. | Show men cooking, women leading business meetings. |
