MOVIES INFOMERMATIONS 0333: “Namaste London” and Indian culture

“Namaste London” and Indian culture

I found an interesting movie review of “Namaste London” not for its dealing with the movie, per se, but especially for its dealings with the issue of identity. The author of the post (rightly, in my view) points out the error in the need to justify identity by demonising the other. Here are some excerpts:
I am not a movie buff, nor do I indulge in writing movie reviews. In fact, this is the first time, I am pushed to do it.

The movie is Namastey London. I had the opportunity to watch it almost five times, but I could not complete it even once. But this time I did use the opportunity. Apart from beautiful London and Katrina Kaif, movie offers nothing interesting. But what really disturbed me was the subject of the movie. The director of the movie did try to touch an important subject of our desi bretheren brought up abroad. I thought the director's portrayal of the desis living abroad and the westerners itself was very much biased. I am not sure if he studied the subject well before coming to his conclusions.

It is yet another movie that tries to picture Indian culture as the all good-good and the most 'sanskari' culture in the world. Ironically, it is so fragile that it has fallen prey to the demon of western culture. And Akshay Kumar arrives as the savior of this pitiable, dying culture. He proves that ours is a superior culture. The worst part is that to prove his thesis he has to take support of the "immoral and consumerist" West. He has to prove that the West, its culture and its people are inferior to us. I wonder if we need to demonise other to prove our worth.

I am an Indian. I love my country, I love my culture. I have confidence in the strength of my culture; and do not feel the need to demonise the West to show me the worth of it. [Namaste London] is yet another movie that tries to picture Indian culture as the all good-good and the most ’sanskari’ culture in the world. Ironically, it is so fragile that it has fallen prey to the demon of western culture….
…[The main character] has to prove that the West, its culture and its people are inferior to us. I wonder if we need to demonise other to prove our worth.
I am an Indian. I love my country, I love my culture. I have confidence in the strength of my culture; and do not feel the need to demonise the West to show me the worth of it.