Tuesday 18 June 2013

Rains & Romance!!! In Mumbai!!! Please!!!!

               I still remember the unusual heavy downpour I had first witnessed during my stay in California. A local friend of mine had then said, “It doesn’t rain this much often.” I replied, “ I am glad. I hate rains!” She was shocked. She said, “If I am not wrong, the place where you come from, it rains heavily for 4 months in a year.” I replied, ”Yes. And that is why I hate it!” The conversation ended. It was the USA. People normally do not make personal remarks there about your likes or Dislikes. Had the same conversation happened in India, chances are that it would have continued further, with the lady saying, “ Oh my God, that’s so boring..or so unromantic..or blah blah blah”. And it always makes me wonder, really, is the love for rains all it takes to label one as a Romantic?

          It is not actually our fault. This is what we took from Bollywood. Though I am sure, even Bollywood, behind the amiable facade of splashing gallons of water with a pump(s) across the shooting set and calling it “rains”, just to lend credibility to the script, did not mean to showcase it as romantic. If any, the feeling associated with rains is plumb Lust. With the lady shown all drenched and seductive, Bollywood did not intend to show romance. Even the famous Raj Kapoor song, “Pyaar hua, Ikraar Hua...” (Love has already happened, then why are you scared of Love?) that started the trend of singing and dancing in rains actually meant lust. “” What he meant with love in the next stanza was actually understood few years later by a Condom manufacturing company. I hope you guys remember that advert or the song , “EK ladki bheegi bhaagi si...” Come-on! Let’s admit! If an unknown guy starts singing like that when the girl is alone at night, it's rankling and not romantic. From then, till now, Bollywood has again and again shown the feeling of lust in rains, and we think it's romantic.

                Now let’s forget Bollywood, and talk real life. Forget enjoying the rains from the window of your home, eating the famous pakodas and drinking tea. Let’s be practical! It transpiring, right from the first rains, the city’s infrastructure, unreservedly worsens. Water-logging is the most common view from any window. So, unless you find swimming or walking in muddy (read dirty) water “romantic”, there is nothing remotely related to romance in it. And if you are the common man of Mumbai, who takes the public transport to work, then unless you find getting wet by the water dripping from other umbrellas or raincoats romantic, I rest my case. Even if you wanna relate getting wet with water, somehow with taking shower together (thinking way too much) , it still will be associated with lust.

               For the elite, who do not go through this trauma and travel in cars, seemingly finding long drives very romantic,please explain how is traveling at the speed of 10 miles an hour with continuous honking romantic? Or driving over the potholes muttering imprecations or on roads that the civic authority decides to repair as soon as the monsoon commences, anything to do with romance? I know it feels good to have a nice lovely lady in your arms/ or held by a guy (for girls) under one umbrella, walking in the rains. But do you seriously need water poured over you to be romantic? Believe it or not, you walk hand-in-hand with your partner on the road and people will continue to stare; rains or no rains. So please do not use “rains” as an excuse to do it. You like it, go ahead. Do it even when there is bright sunshine. A small token of affection like giving a chocolate for no reason, is also romantic. You don’t need rains for that. Ok, I am flying off at a tangent. Let's not focus on what’s romantic but on rains.

               The best part is when most Facebook updates (especially females) start going, “Oo I love rains it’s so romantic”,”I am in love with rains”. All I want to say is, yes, it looks wonderful if I have to watch it through a window. But if I have to travel in it through the conditions mentioned above, it’s a curse. So please do not bog down to the pressure from the world to be labeled a romantic only if you love rains. Feel free to cuss it and I am sure your FB status will still get equal number of ‘Likes’. You see Ladies, people do not actually ‘Like’ your status, they just want to be good to you. Ok wait! I have a full post about Facebook 'Likes' and how it works. Please read it! ;-)

                I am sure you can think of more trouble caused by the pestilential rains in Mumbai and how it’s not as romantic as proclaimed. My job was to break the stereotype and make you wear the thinking hat on this topic ;-) . So just like X-Men said “Mutant and proud”, please join me in saying “Hate rains and Proud”.

PS: I do know the importance of rainfall. My argument is just over its linking with romance.

Cheers!

18 comments:

  1. Couple of reasons I think that rains in city are called 'romantic' (though I personally feel that it is more of a ethereal experience; in the right locations that is, in city it's just detestable), are people trying to see the positive side of the situation (Mumbai's infrastructure has gone to the dogs, and there's no solution in sight) and the inability of people to venture out to places where rains could actually be enjoyable (treks, hill stations, et al). Just a guess of course.

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    1. I agree gaurav, The right Location and if we have nothing else to do but enjoy the nature.. Unfortunately not in Mumbai and still its kinda 'unromantic' (unaccepted) in society to accept that we hate rains ;-)

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  2. Awesome!! I had just a couple of days ago wrote about loving first showers...but that was it.
    I can so understand how frustrating or actually depressing constant pouring can be...however, in my words, I wish I had the power to let it rain in a bit more accordance with my daily schedule :)

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    1. I would love having that power too, Sugandha... How about it rains daily between 2 Pm to 3 PM only. No problem of water shortage and lil rainfall each day might not make our city's infrastructure go for a toss :-)

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  3. I totally agree tht rains hv got nthng to do with romance n infact rains can sometimes spoil the romantic mood of couples if thy r outside in infracstructre like mumbai...be it private cars or empty roads. People are romantic by heart n I dnt feel seasons can effect or change the mood of people unless the change is extreme.

    On your blogging skills:
    You are improving in reviewing by every post be it sesonal rains or political party or supreme court decission or bollywood films or chetan bhagat's novel.
    U truely deserve the achievement. Keep it up...!
    Aah aan woh kya kehta hai tu...Cheers! ;)

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  4. Some one has definately made a comment on you for not being romantic or rather not finding rains romantic...out of explaination you were not required to write such a BIG blog post.

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    1. Oye Miss Destination (Geetika)..Nobody commented..This is like they say 'Janhit main jaari' :-)

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    2. I want to like your comment geetika...

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    3. with all honours...go ahead Harshada..
      LIKE accepted ;)
      I hope Kapil is not trying to find the unlike button now. :p

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  5. Kapil you write very well & you get a like from me for this post.

    I love to watch rains only from my balcony--but that's it!

    The rains in movies are mostly precursors of illegitimate kids--lust again !

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  6. Good one Kapil. I loved it n yes I also love rains only when I m at home n thr r no plans to go out :-)

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  7. Thanks Sanket..M glad you read and Liked it...

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  8. I understand your point about Rains and its relation to Romance. But may be you should come out of Mumbai at least once (along with your thinking hat) and decide. And I don't mean going to London or another Metropolitan.

    You don't need rains to enjoy Romance and for that matter any emotions. Its just a common behavior to attribute emotions to nature and it doesn't mean it has to invoke feelings. My point is simple, You may feel Rain to be UnRomantic, someone else might feel hill stations and beaches are UnRomantic but the fact remains that it just depends on what you experience.

    By the way I like the way you portray your point...

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    1. Bala..My friend..I did mention that the linking of Romance to Rains is highly questionable in cities..specially Mumbai..The post Title says that :-)

      I like your point that it is linked to an emotion. We may not necessariy feel it.My Point is, if we dont, lets not us be labelled as Unromantic.

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  9. it is the typical kapil and the rains frustration that has come out on this blog... lol..!!

    good blog.. keep it up.. keep writing..!!

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