"All is fair in Love and War"...well this old adage should now be modified to suit the modern world better. In my view it should be now called "All is fair in love, war and Entertainment" !! Entertainment is the buzzword now. Everything can pass off as long as it touted as "Entertainment" ! The word is sooo popular that we now have an "Entertainment Industry" constantly wooing us with their various sometimes weird shows. Is there anyone who cannot understand what Entertainment is right from a four-year old kid to an illiterate to a 60 year old granny?? Ironically despite having too many sources of entertainment people still throng to any place and any damn show if it is "in the name of entertainment" !!
Let me share why I had to write this. It happened a couple of months back during Ganesh Chathurthi. As usual our gullies were bustling with Ganesh Pandals and more and more people visiting the poor Ganesh. (You'll know why Ganeshji is called Poor very soon !!) Our apartment also had a pandal and all of our residents were busy in pujas, decorations, offerings etc. But the one event which drew max attendance and attention was the music and dance show organised every evening. I had a chance to attend one of those....thought i would have some fun and relax in the name of entertainment :)
Of all the performances I was particularly impressed with the performance of a 5 year old girl. She was there on stage dancing to a very popular item number in telugu. The song's lyrics are all about a girl wooing a guy and they have a vulgar tone to them. The poor girl blissfully ignored the lyrics and was gyrating to the song right under the nose of "Poor" Lord !!! Poor Ganesh has no choice but to wonder if all the devotees have come for his blessings or for the 'entertainment' offered !!!
The girl is just 5 but her expressions on her face defy it completely, her dance movements make you feel as if she is born to dance and her enthusiasm....boy it was just unstoppable !! The talent was clearly displayed but i guess at the wrong place. If only the girl was dancing on some classical devotional number with the same enthu..!! That would also become a useful platform to inculcate our values in our children.
The entertainment shows at the Ganesh Pandals are more than welcome but classical music and our traditional rituals/devotion would give the pandal more beauty than this "Item Entertainment" !! Then I am sure such entertainment leaves a happy smile rather than a bad taste on us !!
PS : The views and opinions expressed in the write-up are solely meant to express what I feel and are not intended to hurt anybody [:P]
Let me share why I had to write this. It happened a couple of months back during Ganesh Chathurthi. As usual our gullies were bustling with Ganesh Pandals and more and more people visiting the poor Ganesh. (You'll know why Ganeshji is called Poor very soon !!) Our apartment also had a pandal and all of our residents were busy in pujas, decorations, offerings etc. But the one event which drew max attendance and attention was the music and dance show organised every evening. I had a chance to attend one of those....thought i would have some fun and relax in the name of entertainment :)
Of all the performances I was particularly impressed with the performance of a 5 year old girl. She was there on stage dancing to a very popular item number in telugu. The song's lyrics are all about a girl wooing a guy and they have a vulgar tone to them. The poor girl blissfully ignored the lyrics and was gyrating to the song right under the nose of "Poor" Lord !!! Poor Ganesh has no choice but to wonder if all the devotees have come for his blessings or for the 'entertainment' offered !!!
The girl is just 5 but her expressions on her face defy it completely, her dance movements make you feel as if she is born to dance and her enthusiasm....boy it was just unstoppable !! The talent was clearly displayed but i guess at the wrong place. If only the girl was dancing on some classical devotional number with the same enthu..!! That would also become a useful platform to inculcate our values in our children.
The entertainment shows at the Ganesh Pandals are more than welcome but classical music and our traditional rituals/devotion would give the pandal more beauty than this "Item Entertainment" !! Then I am sure such entertainment leaves a happy smile rather than a bad taste on us !!
PS : The views and opinions expressed in the write-up are solely meant to express what I feel and are not intended to hurt anybody [:P]
Boy, a nice post! I kind of agree with the views expressed. Actually Indian festivals seem to be designed with nature and fulfillment in view. So you actually feel entertained with most of the traditions. But again there are good and bad entertainments and the example you quoted falls in the latter.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHello Haritha,
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting my blog and sharing your thoughts.
I experience the same embarrassment every time I go to Indian festivals here in the U.S. I once saw a few people I address as "uncles" dance to "bunny, bunny" song. It was so awkward and embarrassing considering how vulgar the song is. I wrote to them and told them how inappropriate that was for them to dance for that song before their own children.
Anyway, you have a nice blog. I will follow it.
hey Haritha, Nice blog, way to go.. :-)
ReplyDeleteI got this doubt in my mind hile reading , the film Sisindri which is supposed to be kids movie has 3 item numbers in duo of Nagarjuna and 3 other bollyood actresses....since it has no harm , ganesha also do not feel bad about the girls performance ...khi khi...
ReplyDeleteThe girl learnt such items for TV shows (yes they only trained them, I felt sad to see my neibours girl shown me that she learnt from gemini dance baby dance team ...i just felt like yuk...still i like the way she perform with out knowing the meaning ...and I should not value for an art with out having real feel.. )
when you say 'Ganesh has no choice ' surely ganesha as not watching it ...hi hi ...Ganesh Pandals themselves are for entertainment ....we hardly see any one questioning to organisers ,or to that girls parents ...the girl i know at my village has gron up to high school and she lernt little of any required things ...so can't say its by case to get spoiled etc...
No doubt you have raised very valid issue ..we are bothering abt ganesha is what my concern ...and you too went to have fun ..and we know that Ganesh Pandals have competition and they want more visitors every day to show up, and also to get more money in name of dakshinas(profitable event)......and those girls will get v.less oppurtunities to perform what they learnt for programmes. ...so can't blame that girl ....her parents should not have make her to learn that ....but again parents can be illitarates though they make good money ...so we should blame those gemini or any channels for designing such insensitive programs ..and finally its we contribute for such pandals...shall we stop from next time on!!!!
I used to visit Ganesh pandals in my 7th standard, 2 days would be with nice 'burra kadhas' which has morals and tactics happen around us...I love them..
So its all 'what community' as sponsering to that Ganesh Pandal..as we can not question to organisers, TV channels, parents of such girls, or visiters who encourage such programs ...! lets question ourselves why we contributed or forced to contribute....
-Mauli
Really Awesome blog i have ever read ....... U rock
ReplyDelete