I am a Coldplay fan for quite a long time, in fact this is the only contemporary music band whose music and lyrics makes sense to me. So when I heard that Coldplay has released a single about India by the name 'Hymn of the Weekend', I was ecstatic. It was long overdue and when it happened, it appeared as a dream finally came true. No wonder, song became a hit worldwide but then it also sparked controversy. Reason, 'cultural appropriation of India'. We shall get back to it in a short while.
Just after two weeks, the much maligned (in India for one of its executive didn't recognize Sachin 'The God's' luggage) British Airways released an ad film depicting India in all of its glory. It shows an old Indian lady travelling in Business Class of BA and her getting emotionally attached with one of the air hostesses happened to be British. Indians loved it, so did I. I actually had tears in my eyes ready to soak my cheeks. The ad ends with a line: BA, loving India since 1924. India rocks in it, BA rocks in it and we too rocked with it. According to many Indians, this we are and always had been and BA did the right thing in acknowledging 'affluent' India. BA didn't appropriate Indian culture. Time to get back to first story.
India like the many developing nations in the world represents a ever-widening-rift (and ditch) between poor and rich. While some of its residents are filthy rich, most of them are equally poor. Coldplay in its song depicted an India that celebrates its diversity, adores its poors and is the most colorful, lively and vibrant country in the world. In its video, people and children are seen celebrating the festival of Holi with full vigor. Then we get to see 'Beyonce Knowles' as an Indian actress 'Rani' in it. Why can't we Indians see that Coldplay like all the most popular artists are a 'commercial' band and would love to see its product gaining the widest reach in every continent of the world. They are the British, Beyonce a globally respected singer herself and an American and then there is India, 'THE' fastest growing economy in the world with its diaspora having footprints all over the world. Coldplay didn't abuse us. It credited us being a country that still has its roots in ancient knowledge and wisdom while scoring material growth of all sorts in the modern world. BA showed us what we wanted to see: An emerging Economical behemoth but Coldplay showed us that we are doing alright but we need to stick with our roots that actually led us to this financial success. They both did great while keeping their financial interests intact and there was no point go all-out-ruthless on one of them. But we created a scene, showing the world on YouTube how intolerant we could be. If you happen to stumble across them after getting through with this post, please keep your Mind open and then deduce a conclusion on your own. Only then, you will be able to celebrate both BA and Coldplay and then Danny Boyle's 'Slumdog Millionaire'.
Just after two weeks, the much maligned (in India for one of its executive didn't recognize Sachin 'The God's' luggage) British Airways released an ad film depicting India in all of its glory. It shows an old Indian lady travelling in Business Class of BA and her getting emotionally attached with one of the air hostesses happened to be British. Indians loved it, so did I. I actually had tears in my eyes ready to soak my cheeks. The ad ends with a line: BA, loving India since 1924. India rocks in it, BA rocks in it and we too rocked with it. According to many Indians, this we are and always had been and BA did the right thing in acknowledging 'affluent' India. BA didn't appropriate Indian culture. Time to get back to first story.
India like the many developing nations in the world represents a ever-widening-rift (and ditch) between poor and rich. While some of its residents are filthy rich, most of them are equally poor. Coldplay in its song depicted an India that celebrates its diversity, adores its poors and is the most colorful, lively and vibrant country in the world. In its video, people and children are seen celebrating the festival of Holi with full vigor. Then we get to see 'Beyonce Knowles' as an Indian actress 'Rani' in it. Why can't we Indians see that Coldplay like all the most popular artists are a 'commercial' band and would love to see its product gaining the widest reach in every continent of the world. They are the British, Beyonce a globally respected singer herself and an American and then there is India, 'THE' fastest growing economy in the world with its diaspora having footprints all over the world. Coldplay didn't abuse us. It credited us being a country that still has its roots in ancient knowledge and wisdom while scoring material growth of all sorts in the modern world. BA showed us what we wanted to see: An emerging Economical behemoth but Coldplay showed us that we are doing alright but we need to stick with our roots that actually led us to this financial success. They both did great while keeping their financial interests intact and there was no point go all-out-ruthless on one of them. But we created a scene, showing the world on YouTube how intolerant we could be. If you happen to stumble across them after getting through with this post, please keep your Mind open and then deduce a conclusion on your own. Only then, you will be able to celebrate both BA and Coldplay and then Danny Boyle's 'Slumdog Millionaire'.
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