I am back to what I feel good about – ‘writing’ and so is the famous Bombay monsoons along with its free PR – the live streaming tweets and insta videos. An annual event, it supposedly celebrates true “spirit of Bombay” through people’s tryst with nature’s beauty and fury at the same time as authorities fail to put up an infrastructure to contain the monsoons. The city remains flooded in most parts and TV channels flood the rest (which otherwise is perfectly high n dry) to boost TRPs.
Pot-holes in the roads of Mumbai and the Plot-holes in the recent run-away box office hit “Sanju” has been occupying the national media. No wonder, the movie although a first person narrative of the protagonist was widely marketed as a biopic. And now that the enthusiastic media ensured so much prime time to the movie, it will actually end up few more millions than it originally was destined to. Ironically, Sanju has also brought back memories of the catastrophic event at the heart of Bombay, that changed the social fabric of India’s narrative.
India’s narrative yet again turned a new leaf with 2014 elections – it kind of made identity politics main stream and threw at our face a hard question – As a country are we truly diverse? We can blame political system or social media platforms but we cannot shy away from the fact that what we choose to become or act upon is our decision and not forced by someone. Some of the opinions in those vicious posts/tweets/ Whatsapp forwards are born out of our own value system or someone has paid for it. Either ways, there is a consent.
Away from social media, the best thing that has happened in our lives today is Netflix – its content can be easily compared to a delicious buffet spread, that we get to gorge upon. As 90s kid, we grew on content that was “feel good” and most importantly that gave us hope. Today the content on TV and movies are far more grim and dark than used to be. That is why I thanked Naomi Datta, a media person I follow, for recommending “The Kissing Booth” – It’s one little cute film, brimming with positivity.
Too much reality at times is bad for health. May be it is an escapist theory but each day when we read newspaper or check social media, why not look out for a positive story or a picture. Something that makes us believe in goodness. No matter what stage of life we are in, it is important we believe in love, hope and hold on to our dreams.
Many years back, I had seen a movie called “Wake Up Sid”- it kind of stayed with me, it made me feel love for a city I never been but probably was destined for. Yes the city grows on you. So what is it really about the “Spirit of Bombay” – I guess our struggle is universal which binds us all in one spirit.
The protagonist in Wake Up Sid said : “ Bombay rains are to die for” – what a coincidence, its started pouring again. Time to switch on some good music.
