Read + Watch
Now that you know The Rumor Of India, let's actually go there. Let's try and understand it from the perspective of people who live there or, at least, who have traveled there.
- What South Asia is like from my perspective, Part 1
- What South Asian is like from my perspective, Part 2
Now, let's go a little deeper than my memories of India based upon the time I move through and rested there and actually venture in! We'll go with Todd, a fairly typical American. Let's use his perception and sensory experience of this faraway place and think of it as our own. Watch the following full length narrative feature closely and try to learn a little bit about Indian culture, society and, especially, popular culture.
This film is Indian-made. It is an Indian's perception of an American in India, as well as the cultural, societal and pop cultural clashes between India and America. You only need to watch the first thirty minutes or so. Just up to the scene where Todd talks American kitsch with his
As you learn from my writings, as well as the above narrative feature Outsourced (2013) movies, especially Hindi language ones, are huge in India. Learn about Bollywood and what counts as a Bollywood film. Take note too, that Hindi is only one of many, many official languages in India.
Below is a scene from the iconic Gumnaam (1965). Translation from the Hindi? Anonymous or Unknown. The song is called "Jaan Pehechaan Ho."
Remember this film and song from the opening of Ghost World (2001)? This is a really good example of how once something about a culture is documented it is easy to transport, mail and become a part of another (pop cultural) landscape - literally!
Just as a little side note, the band performing "Jaan Pehechaan Ho," Ted Lyons + His Cubs, once did a cover of The Beatles "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" in a 1964 film called Jaanwar (translation, Animal or Wild). See both versions below.
A couple of things to think about. A Hindi pop group called "Ted Lyons + His Cubs?" Sounds very Jungle Book, doesn't it? Also when Ted Lyons + His Cubs cover a Western, a British pop song like "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" - in Hindi, learn it!, "Dekho Ab To" - is that the same as when the Beatles started incorporating the sitar into their sound and chanting Hindi phrases popularized by the Western invented Hare Krishna Consciousness Movement? If you are unsure of how you would answer these questions, review The Rumor Of India page.
Anyways, back to Guunam and "Jaan Pahechan Ho." The Dutch beer company Heineken once used it for an ad. What would Thomas Frank think about it? It's kind of reminiscent of the Japanese film Tampopo (1985), isn't it? Must be that Japanese (or is it just Asian) looking restaurant the ad is set in. And the fact that there are no Indian people in it. Not that it matters, I guess. Or does it?
Now, remember how on the previous page I said that one of the hardest things to transport or mail from a place without documentation is it's local popular culture.
Below is an ad for soap that was constantly playing in the movies when I lived in India in the 1990s. Keep in mind that in the 90s, only very rich people had TVs in their homes and there wasn't really Cable Television in India yet. YouTube didn't exist yet. So people went to the movies and this was an ad that always played and that people sang along to.
Got the lyrics down yet? Note the mix of Hindi and English! "Washing Powder Nirma, Washing Powder Nirma, Doodh si safedi, Nirma se aaye, Rangeen kapda bhi khil khil jaaye, Sabki pasand Nirma, Washing Powder Nirma, Nirma!" Here's another ad.
Here, some guy on YouTube did an unplugged cover of it to be cool or ironic. He's a South Asian living in Canada. I could literally listen to this cover all day.
I want to close out this page by introducing you to a (dreamy) Bollywood actor named Aamir Khan. He will become very important with regards to our next topic - the brand new pop cultural sensation in India (and some, including me, think, the world) - Satyamev Jayate (translation, The Truth Alone Prevails). But first, catch a glimpse or two of Aamir. He is like the George Clooney of India, only cooler.