Dhoby Ghaut: Kamikaze or another wind of change?

Happy at work at Dhoby Ghaut

Just the day, I was having a friendly chat with an acquaintance who happened to be an Indian citizen and was passionate about Indian movies. Just for the record, I do not think you can pick out any Indian from the Indian subcontinent who is not crazy about movies. The silver screen plays such an important role in their everyday lives that only in India, you can have ladies going into labour in cinemas, adding more drama for the viewers. The scenes could either be too emotional for the mothers to stomach that they just went into spontaneous labour or that the mother just had to see the movie before she was put under 'house arrest' - due to cultural beliefs that a post partum mother is unclean and weak, hence she is not to be outdoors as evil spirits may eat on their souls together with her offspring!.
We were discussing about the recent Aamir Khan's offering from Bollywood named 'Dhoby Ghaut'. It is what one in India would call an art movie; where there is no mandatory boy meets girl, running about the park scenes and learning about relative speed by looking at lovers running towards each other in slow motion. In fact, that was how Mr. Chai Poh Keng taught us the concept of relative velocity in Modern Mathematics. Thinking further, probably, Dr Albert Einstein would have found about the motion of planets in the Universe and the Theory of Relativity a little bit earlier is he were exposed to Bollywood movies in his childhood!

Mumbaikar dhobis at work in the
Mahalaxmi area

Okay, coming back to the discussion. My Indian friend was furious that an Indian should make an Indian movie in India with Indian actors about India in a bilingual mode of communication (English and Hindi). He said that it was economic suicide (kamikaze) from the viewpoint of box office collection. No Indian worth the salt he was eating would want to see such a movie. And we know Indians eat 
a lot of salt. In fact, the salt march mooted by Gandhi was one of the turning points in Indians' march to Independence.
I did not want to oppose his views as I did not know him well enough. For all you know, he could just unsheathe a steely sword from his back on revenge for hurting his nationalistic and linguistic pride! Interestingly, he married a Malaysian and has put in his papers and is waiting rather impatiently for his Permanent Residency in Malaysia! I let it slip by. With the freedom given to me by cyberspace, I can have the peace to rattle my 2-cents worthless piece of opinion.
Just like my dear friend, many Indians migrate and have migrated more than at least a generation ago. These 2nd generation Indians are completely cut off the umbilical cord of 'Indianess'. They still eat spicy Indian food. watch Indian movies and listen to Indian songs -their language prowess may need a little polishing, though. Anyway, it is a known fact that 'English adulteration' of Hindi and Tamil is rampant. Just listen to any interview with any famous guest on the local programme, they would be using more English words than the intended language of communication. About 15 years ago, the Tamil TV channel of Singapore did a secret study by interviewing people in the streets of Singapore. The final conclusion was that Singaporean spoke better Tamil as the Tamil Nadu visitors to Singapore spoke as the visitors articulated with way too many English words interposed in their conversation. So pure unadulterated spoken language is only in classrooms and language classes!
I think the whole idea of Aamir Khan producing 'Dhoby Ghaut' is Grammy on his mind. After missing the coveted award in the foreign film category many times, what better way than to make a movie depicting true everyday life of Bombaywalas (ala Slum Dog Millionaire), put in a few naughty (spelt Indian taboo) scenes looking from an American Desi lens and viola you have a winner!
I do not reckon that collection would be low as there are too many NRIs (Non Resident Indians) who are willing to contribute to his coffers, feeling good about themselves and their forefathers for escaping the sorrows of living in a dog eat dog environment as depicted in the movies. I do not think money is highest on the agenda if you are only churning a movie a year.
I noticed that his movies of late have been different with liberal spread of nationalism in it, starting with 'Lagaan', 'Mangal Pandey -the rising', 'Rang Ki Basanthi'; humour with '3 idiots', autism with 'Taare Zameen Par' and life of NRIs with 'Dil Chhata Hai'.
I was particularly impressed with 'Rang Ki Basanthi' which showcased that nothing has changed with India from pre-Independence. First, the British were oppressing the people, now 60 years after Independence, suppression and oppression comes from the politicians (their fellow Indians) of present day! -nicely done!
Watching 'Dhoby Ghaut' reminded me of a movie screened in1982 in the USM campus in an international movie festival called '36 Chowrangee Lane'. It was the legendary Bollywood actor Sashi Kapoor's production with his Caucasian wife Jennifer in the lead role. It was an extremely slow moving show minus the glitz associated with Indian movies. It was a flop in Indian box office then but raved praises from literary viewers.
Just like that my Indian friend thinks that making 'Dhoby Ghaut' is kamikaze. Is it kamikaze or is it that the wind of change is hitting the Indian movie scene? We should not forget that kamikaze actually means divine wind. It was the typhoon that saved the Japanese from Kublai Khan's attacks back in 1281.
Anyway if you listen to what my wife says, then you should just watch the movie. Do not think a lot and do not ask too many questions!

The sun still rises