I was at a sangeet party, surrounded with
ensemble of flashily attired people gyrating to loud Bollywood songs. I managed
to grab a seat in a corner, gawking at the crazy, glittering extravaganza. The
boisterous crowd seemed absolutely in sync with every beat the weird
looking DJs were playing.
At such occasions, I always feel bit awkward and wait for an
excuse to avoid such torture. I was hoping the hosts would arrive at the party
on time so that once my presence was noted, I could leave. Just then, a distant
relative in her bejeweled best, approached me, "Simi, which colour you are
wearing for the party tomorrow? My Jodha Akbar dress is ready. But
hey, does one cover head with dupatta in that attire?" While I expressed my
complete ignorance on the subject and was on verge of getting lecture from her, mercifully, she was distracted by entourage of
wedding zealots.
The dress code for the wedding party next day was "Jodha Akbar"! Oh, how could I forget that? Soon after the invitation had arrived, out of curiosity, I had relied on Google for some help but despite its 2, 38, 000 pages that promptly opened in 0.52 seconds, I was left utterly confused, exasperated and damn angry at the host for having such bizarre dress codes. Wearing dresses of kings and queens, seriously, in today’s times? What is wrong with the world (or me if I don’t get it)?
Since last fortnight, I have attended three weddings and there are two more wedding functions to attend to next week. Don't get me wrong! Like any true Indian, I love weddings. I will be a hypocrite not to admit that I absolutely love dressing up in my finest clothes and jewelry. But I have serious issues with dressing up in a dozen different bizarre dress codes that pose genuine challenge for my sanity and aesthetic sense.
Blame it on new money or on Indian obsession with Bollywood
but the good old traditions and celebrations around weddings are becoming far
too filmy and glamorous with vulgar display of wealth and insatiable Bollywood
aspirations evidently visible in every part of celebrations. Sadly, in all
that, the very ethos of wedding appears to be diluting.
There is a subtle transformation post liberalization which
seeks recreation of fetishized version of culture and tradition, a chimerical terrain
in which there are ample opportunities to explore “iconography of abundance”.
Why is there a crying need for people to ensure that
everything they do needs to be rabidly screamed off the rooftop? I have absolutely no problem with unabashed indulgence and sensory overload when it comes to weddings but can't one of the most special moments like wedding be also most authentic moments, without having borrowed ideas on how they should be lived? Why can't something as intimate and poignant as two people coming together forever, be an
affair where only those who truly matter, matter?
