Do most Londoners of Pakistani origin feel the same way as Maheen. Any Londoners here?
A desi in London
http://www.dawn.com/weekly/review/review4.htm
By Maheen A. Rashdi
If the Indians are giving so much diversity to the London cultural scene, why shouldn’t the Pakistanis also make their presence felt, asks Maheen A. Rashdi.
Men sporting cute little colourful turbans and the women with dainty little tilaks comprise the mass, which jostles to get past the immigration line at Heathrow International Airport. Urdu, or more precisely Hindi, is the language heard from amongst the new arrivals rather than the native English which is owned by the land. One could easily mistake the venue to be Delhi or Bombay, so far do the desis outnumber the rest. But it is London all right, where the motley crowd is going to melt into the culture and history of this very large metropolis.
Melt yes, but not entirely lose its singularity. In fact, the most prominent people to make their heritage and roots felt in this amazing city with its mix of societies which allows every visitor to indulge in the pursuit of his or her choice - giving diversity its true definition - are Indians. Interestingly, in a metropolis, which offers wonderful sights and sounds of dissimilar cultures and sprawling civilizations to tourists from all parts of this globe, most individuals hailing from the subcontinent prefer to stick to their roots, exploring mostly those arenas which typify their own heritage. The ‘Bollywood Troopers’ (BTs) would be an apt title for them. The typical Indian tourist will inevitably be seen frequenting the Bhangra night at the Hard Rock Cafe and the Indian cuisine offered at The Bombay Palace at Connaught Street or the Delhi Brasserie at Cromwell Road among other such eateries.
The prominence of Indian culture in London calls for a comment.
Bhangra music took over London pubs quite some time ago but it seems to have entrenched itself into all varieties of art and entertainment to such an extent that review magazines include many an item of Indian interest with rave reviews of all desi amusements on offer.
And now with the offerings of Shekhar Kapur, A.R. Rehman and the likes having a formidable presence on the cultural scene in London, it is but natural that the BTs would be seen frequenting these venues in droves, hence, enabling these performances to gain ‘block busting’ reputations. Though there are many theatre choices to choose from, an Indian or even a Pakistani will inevitably be drawn towards the native calling.
Much as I try to stay away from my homegrown cuisine and culture when in a foreign land, I too succumbed to the lure of the much-touted charm of Bombay Dreams. In this Bollywood musical extravaganza, Shekhar Kapur has teemed up with the musical giant, Andrew Lloyd Webber to cash in on A.R. Rehman’s blockbuster melodies. The result is a Masala Mix of song, dance and drama against a backdrop of that prolific film industry, to enthral the London theatregoers. The hype, filtering all the way back home, was such that it was on my ‘must see’ list even before I had embarked on my trip and besides foregoing the sultry charm of Umoja, the South African musical playing at Drury Lane, I ended up dishing out 50 pounds for this Indian staging and was left wondering what it was that I had seen here which was not seen before in an average Bollywood flick! And predictably, the crowd comprised the tilak sporting kind more than the white skinned variety.
Since I too was among thosedesis, I am hardly in a position to criticize the mass of Bollywood Troopers but I did wonder at the power of propaganda which was enabling the show to run to full audiences every night in an ‘off’ season (October). I also wondered whether the American couple sitting next to me actually enjoyed the Chaiyyan, Chaiyyan and Shakalaka numbers or were beguiled into believing that they had witnessed a spectacular treat because the desi thumkas - of which there were plenty - mesmerized them like they do all novice audiences!
Preeya Kalideas (you might remember her from a brief encounter in Bend it like Beckham) portrays the typical heroine of any Hindi flick, and is supported by the male lead (whose name I cannot for the life of me remember!) playing Shahrukh Khan’s spoof. Joined with lots of superb performers whose dance precision and prowess is deserving of the highest accolade, they turn a very mediocre plot into a spectacular vision of bhangra pop, riding on A.R. Rehman’s super hits. Once the enticing affect of Rehman’s songs and Indian moves wears off, it becomes obvious that the entire performance is simply a very well packaged presentation of the best of Indian entertainment forces - combined with the right kind of advertisement and propaganda. I am sure that the late Allan Faqir or Nusrat Fateh Ali’s music could be packaged in the very same way to produce a ‘Pakistani Dreams’ but alas, imagination is limited where our entertainers are concerned.
Fashion shows and concerts might bring in large crowds for Pakistanis abroad but an intensive theatre performance such as this - which actually needs just a coming together of much prevalent talent - needs rising above petty differences of rival performers and a departure from prejudices and biases at all levels, traits much embedded in the local Pakistani. Be that as it may, the Indian in the meantime will be the trademark of the subcontinent and Pakistanis will continue to sport a mistaken identity which is proven every time you get into this line of questioning; “Where are you from?” “Pakistan.” “Oh, India!” “NO. PAKISTAN.” “Same place, isn’t it?!” Aargh! And in the mean time, Indian culture in London continues to thrive, adding to the revenue of the city.
Museums too keep the diversity factor in continuum by showings of Indian artists alternately put up at the notable venues. October had Cinema India: The art of Bollywood showing at the Victoria & Albert Museum under the applied arts category with crowds being pulled in large numbers. The content had little to do with the crowd numbers but the Indian label contributed much. On the other hand, The Royal Festival Hall which had a photo gallery on the Afghan War images was not reviewed in the ‘Around London’ magazines at all and hence was missed by many (me included) though feedback from those who chanced to view it comprised rave appraisals of it.
Let’s not undermine the Pakistani visitors who, I’m convinced, have a sizeable share in the contribution towards London’s Gross Domestic Product just through the shops at Oxford Street. No one shops like we do. It is amazing how the pound-rupee conversion becomes a non-issue when desisindulge in European labels at Bond Street which even the high-earning class of London seldom visits. Louis Vitton becomes a ‘must go’ area for most. Incidentally, the Indian mega star, Amitabh Bachan, claims the largest LV collection. No, folks, it’s not Jerry Lewis but Amitji - darn it, there goes another Indian feather!
Sadly, with bhangra outings; the likes of South Indian cuisine; Knightsbridge, Oxford and Bond streets commanding much of the Pakistani and Indian visitors’ time combined (not to mention pub hopping) the regular treats of old are not explored anymore and historical sights are becoming a bit passe for most desis. Theatre Museum in Covent Garden or the National Gallery viewings are of little interest to our kind of locals unless of course they have something titled: The Unilever Series: Anish Kapoor, which was also showing at the Tate Modern.
The upside of it all is that many careers for stage performers of Indian origin have taken off in London and many opportunities for other launches are ripe. It is hoped that our Pakistani troupes too pounce on the opportunities and kick off a few ‘Dreams’ of their own while there is still a niche somewhere. Otherwise, “Indian - Pakistani; same, same,” comments are going to follow us all.
