While Bollywood has always had its fair share of stereotypical characters, of late the Hindi film industry has been experimenting with the traditions and cultures of the country’s hinterlands. And Haryana seems to be the flavour of the season, with several recent films focusing on the fun-loving, boisterous and sometimes offensive ways of the Jats from the stage of Haryana. Rishi and Neetu Kapoor’s recent cop act in Besharam is yet another testimony of Bollywood filmmakers looking to explore the nooks and crannies of the country in a bid to capture the incredible India.

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Director: Neeraj Pandey
Identity check: Known for always getting the accent right — be it of a Malayalam nurse in The Last Lear or a Punjabi maid in Veer Zaara — Divya Dutta was inch perfect in her first release of 2013. In the heist film, she essayed a con woman, who passes off as a Haryanvi cop with her diction and flamboyant personality in place.