Crash

So I have always believed in being a “true Indian” rather than a “true Bong”. Especially if you have stayed out of your hometown for as long as I have been, you tend to imbibe the cosmopolitan culture, rather than obstinately holding on to your “roots”. So yes, I do not break into an excited conversation in Bengali with a fellow Bong in the middle of a party with a bunch of non-Bongs staring at us, I do not post sentimental status updates on FB and no, I do not write angry open letters to a Delhi boy or a Gujju boy or a Mallu boy or any boy for that matter. On second thoughts, may be I should do so, at least to increase the abysmal hit count of my blog.

But, this weekend, when I watched Vicky Donor, I could so identify with the inevitable cultural clashes between the families of the protagonists. To begin with, I simply loved the movie, for all its on-your-face humour, the sheer crassness and the distinct rustic appeal of the characters, not marred by any superhero legacies. However, what touched me the most about the movie was the typical Punju-Bong contrast that came alive so explicitly. Surrounded by a Punjabi audience (complete with loud men and women with two dozen bangles), I held my ground, as I clapped loudly each time the passionate Bong in me was provoked…

Yes, we are tight-fisted; but at least we don’t leave the price tag on the gift…

Yes, we are progressive to the extent of committing social hara-kiri; but at least we have the courage to be honest about our past…

Yes, we are boringly sober in our weddings; but at least we are not insecure enough to reinforce our social status by a blatant display of opulence…

Yes, we are intellectual snobs; but at least we don’t have to justify our superiority by putting our neighbours down…

Yes, we have mediocre service-class aspirations of being bankers and lawyers; but at least we don’t resort to shortcuts to success…

And yes, we have doting fathers who love their daughters for who they are; but at the same time, they are impartial enough to take the Punju boy’s side, when she is simply blaming the world for her own limitations…