Thoughts on being indian

Will post links to articles, videos and blogs on India as much as possible from now onwards. I need to collect them otherwise the stories will be lost in the noise.

zindagi nai hamain kahan kahan nahi ghumaya galib,

Dilli 6 is a multi layered film, which is why it is so easy to sit back and just scan through the outer most layer and yet not understand the context and meanings behind the inner layers of what Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (ROM) wants us to see. Essentially he holds the mirror to us to understand how we live in India.The complete movie with its ensemble cast is there to make us look back and into our culture and life just like that fakir in the movie showing mirror to the people to make them see inside them.

The movie chronicles Roshan's journey to India and transformation from one who is born and brought up in America to someone who ends up being absorbed into way of life or culture of his parents past. He decides to accompany his grand-mother to india to fulfill her wish to die in india. In a subtle way we are also made to see how he is not shocked and awed by india even on his first trip. All these dimensions of his character (his decision to travel and respect for grand-mother's wish plus reaction on reaching india), reflect as well as acknowledge how his parents have managed to instill in him the indian value system in his american upbringing. This is shown so well in that scene where the neighbors join Grand-mother's video chat with Roshan's mother and acknowledge how Roshan is able to adjust so well in india. So if one stays at the outer layer, one can easily laugh or be surprised or even criticize this aspect as quite a few of the movie reviews have done. But going deeper into it, you appreciate this imbibing of the indian value system in Roshan. I assure you its a daily struggle for the indian diaspora.

The first half of the movie focuses on the mohalla culture which was and is still a way of life in lots of small towns and cities in India. Here again if people focus on the outer layers of what ROM has shown then they will like or dislike the characters living their lives in Dilli 6 or the old Delhi area. But it is this " way of life'' where people share every aspect of their lives across religious boundaries that strikes Roshen immediately on landing in India.

Mohalla way of life is where the daily soaps are discussed and dissected, the cricket scores and matches are debated and news of day gossiped. "Monkey-Man" episode is surprising missed by every one of the reviewers. It actually happened in Delhi around summer of 2001. Some of the incidents shown around it on news media actually happened like police declaring 50000 rupees, committee of different govt. departments formed to find the truth and finally the whole episode just dying down or vanishing from public memory till the next event of this kind happened. (Just google on it )

ROM actually managed to depict almost every aspect of indian life namely police, corruption, media, community, religion, Rama and politics, metro and modern aspirations, arranged marriage and indian idol...alas the list is endless. May be this makes people feel lost watching the movie, searching for a main plot all the while, missing the bigger picture. The down to earth life like depiction itself is a reflection on all of us.

Taking it metaphorically as the regressive superstitious aspect of Indian-ness, ROM tries to highlight the dialectical social forces in India, taking it both forward and backward at the same time. See that scene where a housewife is having an extramarital affair, the news media is engaged in the crimes of mythical "monkey-man", people are being enlightened about benefits of Yoga and Indians acknowledging and celebrating India becoming the fifth most technologically advanced country in the world by sending a satellite to moon, all at the same time. Just that one scene shows all these dimensions in 20 seconds is an amazing feat which Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra accomplishes with such ease. Screenplay has been his strength and we know that from Rang De Basanti, but here he even takes it to the next level where each layer opens itself gradually on to us.

If Roshan settles himself and becomes part of the mohalla in first half, he feels assimilated enough in the second half to take action and get involved in bringing his mohalla back to the way it was.

India needs such activism specially with a youth that is self-confident and does not live under the ghost of indian past and british independence. The anger and political activism after mumbai blasts, the environment activism around climate change and preserving rural and urban habitats, educational activism for alternative and appropriate methods to empower next generation indian kids, judicial activism for establishing the rule of law are just a few issues which Indian youth grapples with. Thats the one of the core essence of ROM's visual treat that asks you and us to jump in instead of sitting on the wall and get our hands dirty because only by that we bring about a social change.

Roshan's character also shows the disconnect and discontinuity NRIs feel while living outside India and yet seeking the comfort of holding on to something uniquely Indian. The dream sequence of Chandni Chowk at Times Square is so amazingly picturized that a lot of people just miss the point ROM makes. The great indian diaspora that everyone talks about, wants to re-live "indian-ness" while still being abroad. So when Roshan sees jalebi, rickshaws and cows at Times Square, it reflects those bits and pieces of "indian-ness" that every indian takes with him or her abroad. Of-coarse it has resulted in the booming industry of indian stores and restaurants across america and europe. He also sees his love for Bittu but the scene is more then just about Roshan wanting to live with Bittu in his life back in America and thats what makes the whole scene so refreshing.A true comment on indian diasporas desires and longing.

We have already seen this movie twice, and both the times we ended up diving deep into it's depth to un-earth hidden gems. It is one of most relevant and thought provoking movies of recent times, full of such gems and characters that you will enjoy it more with each viewing. So go on indians, watch, discover and reflect on the mirror Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra has held for us.

It has been an experience growing up in india. If my childhood was spent in a secluded small town in eastern UP, coming of age was at the city within a state or the national capital and finally started looking at myself as a fully grown adult at the silicon valley of india.

This blog would be my personal thoughts on life in india and what are my observations about it. I would try to chronicle the indian way of life as i have come to experience and in due course helping myself in understanding why we are the way we are.

lets see where this heads to...