--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are still some terrible cliches in…" description: "\"There are still some terrible cliches in the presentation of Indian fiction. The lotus flower. The hennaed hands. In mainland Europe, people still slap..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/047/hari-kunzru-12838_bananas_there-are-still-some-terrible-cliches-in_706635.jpg" --- # There are still some terrible cliches in the presentation… ![“There are still some terrible cliches in the presentation of Indian fiction. The lotus flower. The hennaed hands. In mainland Europe, people still slap these images on my books and I go bananas.” quote by Hari Kunzru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/047/hari-kunzru-12838_bananas_there-are-still-some-terrible-cliches-in_706635.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/047/hari-kunzru-12838_bananas_there-are-still-some-terrible-cliches-in_706635.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/047/hari-kunzru-12838_bananas_there-are-still-some-terrible-cliches-in_706635.jpg) > “There are still some terrible cliches in the presentation of Indian fiction. The lotus flower. The hennaed hands. In mainland Europe, people still slap these images on my books and I go bananas.” [Hari Kunzru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kunzru/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author laments the persistent use of clichéd Indian symbols in Western publishing, urging authentic representation. **In simple terms:** Stereotypes persist, harming genuine cultural expression. Key Takeaway Demand nuanced, respectful portrayals. Themes representation stereotypes culture publishing authenticity Mood irritated determined Type critical essay When to use this quote - Marketing books - editing - authorial intent - cross‑cultural dialogue Key Concepts Cultural appropriation literary criticism global market Questions to Reflect On - How can creators avoid lazy cultural symbols? - What alternatives enrich storytelling? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on familiar symbols can limit creative diversity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Cliche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cliche/) [Cliches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cliches/) [Europe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/europe/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Flower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flower/) [Indian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indian/) [Lotus flower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lotus-flower/) [Lotuses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lotuses/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Presentation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presentation/) ## Related quotes > [There's an explosion of Indian fiction of all kinds, from military thrillers to chicklit. I think that's exciting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kunzru/there-s-an-explosion-of-indian-fiction-of-all-kinds-from-military/) [Hari Kunzru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kunzru/) > [One thing is certain: you can never become anything other than yourself, and unless you become yourself you cannot be happy. Happiness happens only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/one-thing-is-certain-you-can-never-become-anything-other-than/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Whenever you should doubt your self-worth, remember the lotus flower. Even though it plunges to life from beneath the mud, it does not allow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/whenever-you-should-doubt-your-self-worth-remember-the-lotus-flower/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [Great people will always be mocked by those who feel smaller than them. However, a lion does not flinch at laughter coming from a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/great-people-will-always-be-mocked-by-those-who-feel-smaller-than/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [To be beautiful means to be yourself.You don't need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself. When you are born a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-be-beautiful-means-to-be-yourself-you-don-t-need-to-be-accepted-by-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's like growing lotus flowers. You cannot grow lotus flowers on marble. You have to grow them on the mud. Without mud you cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/it-s-like-growing-lotus-flowers-you-cannot-grow-lotus-flowers-on/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [“I want you to learn the lesson of the lotus. This flower springs forth from muddy waters. It raises its delicate petals to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-houck/i-want-you-to-learn-the-lesson-of-the-lotus-this-flower-springs-forth/) [Colleen Houck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-houck/) > [Deep within the self is the Light of God. It radiates throughout the expanse of His creation. Through the Guru's teachings, the darkness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-amar-das/deep-within-the-self-is-the-light-of-god-it-radiates-throughout-the/) Guru Amar Das > [YOUR HEART IS FULL of fertile seeds, waiting to sprout. Just as a lotus flower springs from the mire to bloom splendidly, the interaction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morihei-ueshiba/your-heart-is-full-of-fertile-seeds-waiting-to-sprout-just-as-a-lotus/) [Morihei Ueshiba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morihei-ueshiba/) > [Water surrounds the lotus flower, but does not wet its petals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/water-surrounds-the-lotus-flower-but-does-not-wet-its-petals/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [A flower can't grow without rain. (Alexion) Too much rain and it drowns. (Danger) And yet the most beautiful of the lotus flowers are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/a-flower-can-t-grow-without-rain-alexion-too-much-rain-and-it-drowns/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [In Egypt, I loved the perfume of the lotus. A flower would bloom in the pool at dawn, filling the entire garden with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-egypt-i-loved-the-perfume-of-the-lotus-a-flower-would-bloom-in-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The lotus flower is troubled At the sun's resplendent light; With sunken head and sadly She dreamily waits for the night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-heine/the-lotus-flower-is-troubled-at-the-sun-s-resplendent-light-with/) [Heinrich Heine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-heine/) > [If you feel lost, disappointed, hesitant, or weak, return to yourself, to who you are, here and now and when you get there, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masaru-emoto/if-you-feel-lost-disappointed-hesitant-or-weak-return-to-yourself-to/) [Masaru Emoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masaru-emoto/) > [If you sleep, Desire grows in you Like a vine in the forest. Like a monkey in the forest You jump from tree to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/if-you-sleep-desire-grows-in-you-like-a-vine-in-the-forest-like-a/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) ## More by Hari Kunzru > [In my early teens, science fiction and fantasy had an almost-total hold over my imagination. Their outcast status was part of their appeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kunzru/in-my-early-teens-science-fiction-and-fantasy-had-an-almost-total/) [Hari Kunzru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kunzru/) > [Say there are three identical-looking pizza joints on a street. Two of those will always be empty. The third will have a line of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kunzru/say-there-are-three-identical-looking-pizza-joints-on-a-street-two-of/) [Hari Kunzru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kunzru/) > [“I wanted to store the world and play it back just as I’d found it, without change or addition.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kunzru/i-wanted-to-store-the-world-and-play-it-back-just-as-i-d-found-it/) [Hari Kunzru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kunzru/) > [“I've seen some very bad things this year, most of them when I was distracted. The world comes at me when I'm drinking coffee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kunzru/i-ve-seen-some-very-bad-things-this-year-most-of-them-when-i-was/) [Hari Kunzru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kunzru/) > [“People want to get back to the source. The old school. They want things they can touch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kunzru/people-want-to-get-back-to-the-source-the-old-school-they-want-things/) [Hari Kunzru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kunzru/) > [When I try to understand somebody, create a character, I fall into them. When I think writers are telling me what to think, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kunzru/when-i-try-to-understand-somebody-create-a-character-i-fall-into-them/) [Hari Kunzru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kunzru/) > [“Duhovna sloboda sveta direktno zavisi od politicke slobode Indije. Molimo Vas da stavite nesto sitinine u kasu. Posle tri cetvrti sata gubi svaku sigurnost,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kunzru/duhovna-sloboda-sveta-direktno-zavisi-od-politicke-slobode-indije/) [Hari Kunzru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kunzru/) > [“You're too old to be saying to me, as you did recently, that you weren't 'interested in politics'. You're lucky that politics feels optional,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kunzru/you-re-too-old-to-be-saying-to-me-as-you-did-recently-that-you-weren/) [Hari Kunzru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kunzru/) > [As I got older I became a kind of sub cultural junkie, foraging around in music, street fashion and eventually art, politics and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kunzru/as-i-got-older-i-became-a-kind-of-sub-cultural-junkie-foraging-around/) [Hari Kunzru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kunzru/) > [I suffer from vertigo. It's paralyzing in extreme situations. The most scared I've been as an adult was trying to conquer that fear by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kunzru/i-suffer-from-vertigo-it-s-paralyzing-in-extreme-situations-the-most/) [Hari Kunzru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kunzru/) > [“Ti uspešni ljudi, muškarci i žene, bili su obučeni u ansamble grafitnosive i tamnoplave boje, kao simbole pouzdanosti i poštenja. To vidno polje sačinjeno…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kunzru/ti-uspe-ni-ljudi-mu-karci-i-ene-bili-su-obu-eni-u-ansamble/) [Hari Kunzru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kunzru/) > [“Driving was almost the only thing that felt natural in America. It was traditional. It was patriotic . When you accelerated, you could almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kunzru/driving-was-almost-the-only-thing-that-felt-natural-in-america-it-was/) [Hari Kunzru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kunzru/) > [“What if one were to want to hunt for these hidden presences? You can’t just rummage around like you’re at a yard sale. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kunzru/what-if-one-were-to-want-to-hunt-for-these-hidden-presences-you-can-t/) [Hari Kunzru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kunzru/) > [I think it's important for all culturally literate people to understand the technological substrate of new developments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kunzru/i-think-it-s-important-for-all-culturally-literate-people-to/) [Hari Kunzru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kunzru/) > [“We are a family whose roots are more like aerials. We pick up signals from the air around us - ideas, affinities, tastes, coordinates.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kunzru/we-are-a-family-whose-roots-are-more-like-aerials-we-pick-up-signals/) [Hari Kunzru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kunzru/) [Explore all 53 Hari Kunzru quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kunzru/) ## More Bananas quotes > ['When you slip on a banana peel, people laugh at you. When you tell people you slipped on a banana peel, it's your laugh.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/when-you-slip-on-a-banana-peel-people-laugh-at-you-when-you-tell/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [It doesn't matter to me where Barack Obama goes. If he wants to go to Hawaii because it's his home state, fine! Hunky-dory. Plastic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/it-doesn-t-matter-to-me-where-barack-obama-goes-if-he-wants-to-go-to/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Hey, maybe instead of going to college, you should drop out and I could quit my job and we can form an all-girl band…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-palladino/hey-maybe-instead-of-going-to-college-you-should-drop-out-and-i-could/) Daniel Palladino > [“The banana flavour of his accidental conception, and the banana theme of his accidental death, now all seemed to conspire against him and rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-conrad/the-banana-flavour-of-his-accidental-conception-and-the-banana-theme/) [Tom Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-conrad/) > [While it's true that you may lose your religion during the course of a lifetime, you never lose your salvation. Once you let Jesus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathleen-falsani/while-it-s-true-that-you-may-lose-your-religion-during-the-course-of/) [Cathleen Falsani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathleen-falsani/) > [We had an abundance of mangoes, papaias and bananas here, but the pride of the islands, the most delicious fruit known to men, cherimoya,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/we-had-an-abundance-of-mangoes-papaias-and-bananas-here-but-the-pride/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Everything goes with short hair. It's bananas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginnifer-goodwin/everything-goes-with-short-hair-it-s-bananas/) [Ginnifer Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginnifer-goodwin/) > [From cheesecake on a stick to meat skewers to deep-fried bananas on a stick - there are no plates anymore. In Los Angeles, everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/from-cheesecake-on-a-stick-to-meat-skewers-to-deep-fried-bananas-on-a/) [Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/) > [Los Estados Unidos has turned into a banana republic, a fascist banana republic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-celente/los-estados-unidos-has-turned-into-a-banana-republic-a-fascist-banana/) [Gerald Celente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-celente/) > [A Tom Ford three-piece makes you feel so confident, it's bananas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwyane-wade/a-tom-ford-three-piece-makes-you-feel-so-confident-it-s-bananas/) [Dwyane Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwyane-wade/) > [With an animated show you can make a banana purple. You can put three hats on a cowboy. That would require several days of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-harmon/with-an-animated-show-you-can-make-a-banana-purple-you-can-put-three/) [Dan Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-harmon/) > [I ate two waffles, a banana and cereal with blueberries. And that whas between my two breakfasts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/i-ate-two-waffles-a-banana-and-cereal-with-blueberries-and-that-whas/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [In Puerto Rico, we have a lot of traditions. We eat a very typical thing that's called 'pasteles' - it's almost like a tamale…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-giraud/in-puerto-rico-we-have-a-lot-of-traditions-we-eat-a-very-typical/) [Joyce Giraud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-giraud/) > [look, you know i don't wanna come on ungrateful, but that warren report, you know as well as me, just didn't make it. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/look-you-know-i-don-t-wanna-come-on-ungrateful-but-that-warren-report/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Starting Monday, 7-11 will begin testing a new plastic wrap designed to keep bananas yellow and firm for five days. Though if your banana…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-meyers/starting-monday-7-11-will-begin-testing-a-new-plastic-wrap-designed/) [Seth Meyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-meyers/) Browse all 323 Bananas quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There are still some terrible cliches in the presentation of Indian fiction. The lotus flower. The hennaed hands. 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