Munnabhai at large

Not the ideal hour to land at Chicago8217;s O8217;Hare International. At 4.30 in the morning the caverns of the world8217;s busiest airport were echoingly silent.

Not the ideal hour to land at Chicago8217;s O8217;Hare International. At 4.30 in the morning the caverns of the world8217;s busiest airport were echoingly silent. Even the duty-free shops were mostly boarded up. Yet, at the book-stalls and various corners, the newly-arrived daily paper was folded neatly on the front page. And the headline screamed: 8216;Bollywood film is a hit 8212; and so again is Gandhi8217;.

Now, it is not every day that India makes the front page of a US newspaper. Most Indian news that is published is generally the exotica 8212; or nuclear-related 8212; and buried in the inside pages. The Chicago Tribune, the 160-year voice of America8217;s Midwest, can be as crusty as they come. Yet here it was telling its readers in a detailed 800-word piece, spread over its first two pages, about the film, Lage Raho Munnabhai. And that at a time when the attention and news space of the entire US of A were in the throes of next week8217;s mid-term elections.

Or, maybe because of it. As the Trib itself noted elsewhere, the American politics today is 8220;an ugly, polarised, partisan mess8221;. As the USA celebrates the birth of its 300 millionth American, the political divide is at its sharpest. Over Iraq mainly, but also about domestic issues like governance, medicare, state of society. A columnist wrote: 8220;The vitriol and venom we8217;ve witnessed during this campaign season make you, well, even sicker.8221;

That could well be the reason why Gandhi and his political philosophy were considered fit again as front-page news in the US. 8220;Inspired by the hit movie,8221; the Tribune gushed, 8220;Indians are increasingly embracing his philosophy, staging non-violent protests, starting websites, handing out roses to enemies and putting on peaked white caps from the Gandhi era8230;8221;

The film has been released in the US some weeks ago, but its impact has remained confined to expatriate Indians. This major plug by a top US newspaper would bring the movie and its Gandhian theme to the consciousness of the mainline Americans. And, incidentally, do no harm to its prospects at the Oscars.

But how could 8216;Gandhigiri8217; impact this country? For both the US political parties, the election results next week are crucial. If the Republicans were to lose control over one or both Houses, would George Bush turn his back on the Neo-Cons and offer roses to the Democrats? Boley toh, that would be the day!