देसी विदेसी सिलसिले…
Mumbai can be a difficult city to survive in, constant struggles of commute, lack of fresh breathable air, privacy being a myth- naming a few hurdles that make loving this city seem like a task to me. My father has spent 35+ years in Mumbai, the city of endeavours. He seems to have grown exhausted with the crunched & cramped way of living. Fortunately, we have a house in the outskirts so he has made that his new home. Retirement seems to be doing him some good, with growing flowering plants, grooming his kitchen garden and filling up his tools closet with newer equipments. He seems to have absolutely no complaints of missing out on the city banter or social gatherings, he seems to desire silence.
While growing up, my extended family seemed to have some fascination for Mumbai. I was and I still am called as ‘Mumbai ponnu’ (the girl from Mumbai). The imagery of Mumbai is desired by many, guess it’s the same for most major cities on the nation. People wanting to move to the city, walk around the streets, breathe the toxic air and pretend to be all new city, new me; that wasn’t new to me. Weirdly enough, most fancied the lifestyle that my father had decided to step out of. But now the city dwellers seem to be wearing out, wanting to retire in the plains off the city boundaries.
Many have stepped into someone else’s shoes, while my father secretly desires to be that chap in the village with tall trees & back water running behind his house, that chap in the village desires to watch his afternoon soap on big screen, lounging on the sofa, in between 4 city walls. I am sure that’s no news to most of you all, it’s interesting to trace out what is this kind of reverse migration doing to our economy, to our various consumption patterns, belief systems & preferences. There has evidently been some heavy cross pollination within the population over a period of time, the choices we make have taken a steep turn, there is polarisation in terms of wanting to travel back to one’s roots or to move far away towards a renewed identity. Either ways, everything seems to stem from a strong desire to move away from one’s current self.
Recently, I have been getting a lot of advertisements about different varieties of podis (dry chutney), all kinds of traditional home made recipes, packs of frozen unniappam, traditional ammikal (stone to grind/OG mixer grinder) and everything that I wouldn’t have otherwise been exposed to, considering typical mass production cycles. But strangely, today I have been fed with content that is either initiating or accelerating behaviour change, pushing me towards an ancient lifestyle. Knowingly or unknowingly, we are drifting from Nature’s Basket to Farmer’s market- not only for the freshness & quality but also for the values it promotes, the wider range it gives, the connect it builds and the emotions of eating off the farms creates. Lifestyles of thousands and thousands are migrating, seeking authenticity, originality and most importantly newness- may that pertain to the country or the city.
If this drastic drift was to be seen only in the city dwellers, it would not have been as surprising. But, the thought is about those residing in the countryside, living this newly desired life day in and out. If we, the Humans of Bombay, Bangalore & Delhi are voyaging towards Ratnagiri, Hubli & Singhu, doesn’t it seem possible for them to be wearing our torn cloaks of city hood? Finding a Belgium Waffle franchise in the streets of a tier 2 city doesn’t seem overambitious, does it? Households situated in the remote interiors boiling pasta in their kadhai doesn’t seem futuristic, does it? McDonalds becoming a hep hangout spot in the smaller towns vs vadapav stalls in the cities becoming experiential diners doesn’t seem to be a mere marketing gimmick to boast consumerism, does it? No, reverse migration has waves that are ought to alter psychological statuses & make us want to know the unknown.
While food habits seem to be the most obvious of behaviours to be altered & moulded since our taste pallets are forever craving, let’s look at the not so obvious ones.
Fashion, draping pattu (silk) or khadi saree weaved from fresh organic silk/cotton has become elegant, taking over denims and formal pants. While more and more women in the country are hoarding western wardrobes, FabIndia & Jaypore seem to be mushrooming in most urban counterparts. “Rurbanisation is adding new consumers many of whom are first time users of Ready-to-Wear clothing.” (Seven Consumption Trends That Will Define the Future of Indian Apparel Industry, The Edge)
Music, while sufis and ghazals are being revived by the elite audience of urban India through Coke Studios of the world, Sean Paul’s Temperature has become the new party anthem for so many village gatherings.
The list of alterations is long, it is nowhere close to being at an end. One trickle of change is only going to lead to another and another, leading to constant transformation of worlds that once were familiar. The question is, will this perpetual jump from familiar to queer ever tire us? Is settling down quite literally settling down? What more harm/ease can the upcoming waves of changes cause to the production, consumption & aspiration cycles?
Leaving you all here, at this point of contemplation. Do write back to take it forward, thank you :)
