Beyond Bollywood

One cannot help but wonder whether these are just seasonal trends or trends that reflect a greater appreciation of cultural diversity and a movement towards the creation of a ‘global culture’. Perhaps the experiment is a spiritual one. The sudden appearance of the followers of what anthropologists term ‘New Religious Movements’ such as ISCKON on the streets of European cities such as Vienna is no longer head-turning. Films like The Guru humorously bring to light the exploitation of Americans who search for answers through Buddhism and Hinduism professed by self-proclaimed gurus. The global interest in India has also emerged from a sense of humanitarian concern as seen in the exodus of Hollywood stars to cities such as Calcutta.

The world has indeed become a smaller place; globalisation has been political, economic, social and cultural in its scope. Today, through the influence of TV channels such as the National Geographic and the Discovery Channel, the interest in cross-cultural examination has deepened. The mysticism that has been associated with the ‘East’ is perhaps more evident than ever before. Images of sages in the holy Ganges river and cows grazing on metropolitan roads only add to the common misconceptions about India.

It cannot be overlooked that ‘Bollywood’ is fast emerging as a distinguishing feature of the Indian cultural ethos. But culturally we are more than that. The rich cinematic heritage left behind by Satyajit Ray and Raj Kapoor; the musical traditions represented by Kishori Amonkar, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi and countless others; the stunning artistic strokes of a Jehangir Sabavala or an M.F. Hussain, is also what culturally constitutes India. And while there may be concerts, art exhibitions and film festivals that give recognition to the cultural heritage of India, the proportion of individuals abroad who have access to them is still insignificant.

Ours is a land of great diversity, of multiple religious identities and diverse beliefs, of complex political processes and varied traditions. Reiki, yoga, meditation, chicken tikka masala, Bombay Dreams, gurus and Krishna do have their own place in India, but we are more than that, not merely that. Perhaps the mysticism surrounding ‘the other’ is necessary to trigger off a deeper inquiry into it. It is time to re-discover India.