Bollywood "lifts" (chak de) the Twenty20 World Cup
So, the inaugural Twenty20 Cricket World Cup is over. The final was fought out in a nail-biting encounter between the old arch-rivals India and Pakistan. India held their nerves and saw themselves through a most inspiring and dramatic fightback by a lone Pakistani, Misbah ul-Haq, who all but took away the match from India. In the end it was to be a fatal mistake on Misbah's part, rather than the brilliance of an Indian player, that gave India victory. It was a great final and a great end to an exhilarating tournament that saw some really competitive cricket!
The cricket ends right here; enter bollywood - aptly led by Shah Rukh Khan of "Chak De" fame - on the shoulders of the Indian media. There is something about the Indian media that really bugs me to bits! Add to this the gullibility of people who are GLUED to such channels and brainwashed into believing that they are in some sort of lala land. As if that were not enough, the little objectivity that is left in people is completely inundated by the folks at Bollywood. The net result is a whole bunch of desis (I say desis and not Indians because a lot of Pakistanis susbscribe to this "New Order" as well) acting like total idiots!
Shah Rukh Khan "graced" the finals with his presence. I guess he was the official Indian mascot as he recently came up with a movie on the revival of Indian sports. It was released on the 15th of August being the Independence Day of India and ever since every Indian worth his vegetable curry is under the spell of "Chak De India". Suddenly, being Indian is all about being sporty (and not IT anymore). Everywhere you go (and Dubai is FULL of Indians) you hear "Chak De India" - in shops, in restaurants, on TV, in conversations. So much so that it is getting REALLY irritating.
Just before the finals, Star News, a popular Indian News channel, was constantly playing this "Chak De" song in the background and singing praises of the Indian cricket team. This being a stark contrast from their usual practice of negativity where every time India loses, they pick out a "match ka mujrim" (literally, "criminal of the match") and blast the poor guy to bits. Again, the Indian public jumps onto their bandwagon and what you see is the irritatingly negative side of India. Well, these days there is a surge of irritating positivity! Why can't we desis ever be balanced??
Here are some anecdotal beauties before and after the final match that could be heard on Indian TV (try playing the "chak de india" song in the background while you read this):
1- Indian ballaybaaz Pakistaniyon kay chakkay ura dengay!
2- India nay Pakistan ko dhool chata dee!
3- Chak De Team India!
4- Dhoni kardo Pakistan key dhulayee!
5- Yuvi kay ballay say hogi Pakistaniyon key pitai!
Nauseatingly sickening! There is so much more, but I really dont want to waste my already wasted time. The Indian media really harps on about how great India is and just raises expectations (I dont even know why people buy into it!) and the moment India loses, this same media (along with the "gullible billion" as I like to call them) thrash their own heroes. For example, when India lost a home series to Pakistan, Star News was running a caption "Kyon hogaye Dher India kay shayr!" Nonsense!
Unfortunately, knowing the Indian psyche (and India was not like this 10 years ago!) we will have to hear this "Chak De" crap till India is beaten by another team. Then everyone can snap out of Shah Rukh's "Chak De India" dream and look for a new dream that bollywood and Star News, NDTV, Zee TV and the gazillion other Indian channels cook up. The Australians are in India for a test series and it seems the partying is going to be short-lived.
Thanks to this crazy "Chak De" fever, I have this e-mail exchange going on with some friends where an Indian friend tried to joke (he says it is all in good fun and was just humurous mischief) with the rest of the list and it is all turning out a bit ugly. Here are a few excerpts from this crazy thread:
Indian friend:
CHAK DE!!!
INDIA WON!!!
CHAK DE... CHAK DE INDIA...
CHAK DE... CHAK DE INDIA
And in the pakistani captains own words: "India Playsed a Good Game"
Moral of the match:
Think twice before migrating.
Migrate back :D
Pakistani friend replying back:
Muslims in India fit the proverbial “khisiaani billi khumba nochay”. They wish in their hearts to be Pakistanis, but to prove their Hindu masters that they are more loyal than the banias, they leave no chance to criticize Pakistan.
Another Pakistani friend:
I just don't understand how a funny cricket match picture led to this bullshit about migration and hindu muslim shit. I guess it explains why are we so far behind the rest of the world.
A different Indian friend:
It shocks me that as muslims IN THE MONTH OF RAMADAN we can express such extreme opinions which are born out of an artificial attachment to something which is considered a sign of jahiliyyah (the period of ignorance before Islam) which is called 'assabiya' in arabic denoting partisanship to something other than Islam. In this case-patriotism/nationalism or tribalism.
Some good sense prevailed towards the end, but I will just conveniently blame the entire episode on bollywood!
The cricket ends right here; enter bollywood - aptly led by Shah Rukh Khan of "Chak De" fame - on the shoulders of the Indian media. There is something about the Indian media that really bugs me to bits! Add to this the gullibility of people who are GLUED to such channels and brainwashed into believing that they are in some sort of lala land. As if that were not enough, the little objectivity that is left in people is completely inundated by the folks at Bollywood. The net result is a whole bunch of desis (I say desis and not Indians because a lot of Pakistanis susbscribe to this "New Order" as well) acting like total idiots!
Shah Rukh Khan "graced" the finals with his presence. I guess he was the official Indian mascot as he recently came up with a movie on the revival of Indian sports. It was released on the 15th of August being the Independence Day of India and ever since every Indian worth his vegetable curry is under the spell of "Chak De India". Suddenly, being Indian is all about being sporty (and not IT anymore). Everywhere you go (and Dubai is FULL of Indians) you hear "Chak De India" - in shops, in restaurants, on TV, in conversations. So much so that it is getting REALLY irritating.
Just before the finals, Star News, a popular Indian News channel, was constantly playing this "Chak De" song in the background and singing praises of the Indian cricket team. This being a stark contrast from their usual practice of negativity where every time India loses, they pick out a "match ka mujrim" (literally, "criminal of the match") and blast the poor guy to bits. Again, the Indian public jumps onto their bandwagon and what you see is the irritatingly negative side of India. Well, these days there is a surge of irritating positivity! Why can't we desis ever be balanced??
Here are some anecdotal beauties before and after the final match that could be heard on Indian TV (try playing the "chak de india" song in the background while you read this):
1- Indian ballaybaaz Pakistaniyon kay chakkay ura dengay!
2- India nay Pakistan ko dhool chata dee!
3- Chak De Team India!
4- Dhoni kardo Pakistan key dhulayee!
5- Yuvi kay ballay say hogi Pakistaniyon key pitai!
Nauseatingly sickening! There is so much more, but I really dont want to waste my already wasted time. The Indian media really harps on about how great India is and just raises expectations (I dont even know why people buy into it!) and the moment India loses, this same media (along with the "gullible billion" as I like to call them) thrash their own heroes. For example, when India lost a home series to Pakistan, Star News was running a caption "Kyon hogaye Dher India kay shayr!" Nonsense!
Unfortunately, knowing the Indian psyche (and India was not like this 10 years ago!) we will have to hear this "Chak De" crap till India is beaten by another team. Then everyone can snap out of Shah Rukh's "Chak De India" dream and look for a new dream that bollywood and Star News, NDTV, Zee TV and the gazillion other Indian channels cook up. The Australians are in India for a test series and it seems the partying is going to be short-lived.
Thanks to this crazy "Chak De" fever, I have this e-mail exchange going on with some friends where an Indian friend tried to joke (he says it is all in good fun and was just humurous mischief) with the rest of the list and it is all turning out a bit ugly. Here are a few excerpts from this crazy thread:
Indian friend:
CHAK DE!!!
INDIA WON!!!
CHAK DE... CHAK DE INDIA...
CHAK DE... CHAK DE INDIA
And in the pakistani captains own words: "India Playsed a Good Game"
Moral of the match:
Think twice before migrating.
Migrate back :D
Pakistani friend replying back:
Muslims in India fit the proverbial “khisiaani billi khumba nochay”. They wish in their hearts to be Pakistanis, but to prove their Hindu masters that they are more loyal than the banias, they leave no chance to criticize Pakistan.
Another Pakistani friend:
I just don't understand how a funny cricket match picture led to this bullshit about migration and hindu muslim shit. I guess it explains why are we so far behind the rest of the world.
A different Indian friend:
It shocks me that as muslims IN THE MONTH OF RAMADAN we can express such extreme opinions which are born out of an artificial attachment to something which is considered a sign of jahiliyyah (the period of ignorance before Islam) which is called 'assabiya' in arabic denoting partisanship to something other than Islam. In this case-patriotism/nationalism or tribalism.
Some good sense prevailed towards the end, but I will just conveniently blame the entire episode on bollywood!
posted by al-republican at 8:33 AM
24 Comments:
ummm where do I begin, many thoughts...dum dum dee dum dee....*cracking knuckles*
OK I *hate* cricket, don't follow the *game*, hence didn't know there was a tourno (rigged albeit :) "Twenty20" - is that a typo or for real?
Re: Indians brainwashed: true indeed! The media (whatever little I've seen) mimics the US media. It's about silly talentless celebs and nonsense "news coverage" i.e. - it's all entertainment. The "news readers" come across as provocative clowns. There are people out there who think bollywood clowns are semi-gods or something.
Cricket is BS + bollywood a stinkier BS - combined you've got the ultimate BS.
On a given day, everything being equal, Pak shall (and always have) beat Indi's hands down - everyone knows it's the stronger team. Al, am sorry, but your Indian friend is plain stupid.
I am very upset to know this chakde (what does it mean?) sh*t is all over UAE today :(
It upsetting reading Gulf News on-line these days, 'cause there's so much bollywood crap and sharook khan, why is this happening?
Need to get an iced latte and calm down........btw fantastic write up :)
Hahaha Rosh! Hilarious comments! "Chak De" in punjabi actually means to "lift it". I guess it is in the Punjabi version of how an African-American would say "raise da roof"!
That is the other paradoxical thing about this "chak de" crap - half the public doesnt know what it means! But they are saying it anyway! Uff, man, desis!
It's like when I first saw senior students in school using the middle finger. I didn't know what it meant, but I just thought it was cool and hip to do so. It was only when I got to the seventh grade did I know what it meant. Luckily, I grew up. Unluckily, desis still have a lot of growing up to do who are flashing "chak de" just like I would flash the middle finger in the 4th grade!
This comment has been removed by the author.
*sipping iced latte and in much calmer frame of mind*
Al, pardon my rant above, however you raise couple of thought provoking points.
Media influence - it's amazing how much power THE mainstream media has over an average viewer. Be it here in North America or across the planet, in Desiland, an average Joe & Jane sucks it all up.
The silly thoughts/animosity some desi's harbour - one is better than the other. You know growing up in the UAE, my friends include desis (many Pak & Indi) and given most of us were born/bred in the UAE, we've always perceived ourselves as people from a common country with common backgrounds/origins - there wasn't animosity or *they & us* mentality to a large extent. Whilst I do believe there has always been a pleasant norm in the UAE (perhaps to a lesser extent today, given the larger influx of newer people) I hope fellow desi's shall continue understand & align with each other.
Al, nice post, but I don't buy your huffy indignation. You need to get out more from your ivory tower.
You guys in this part of the world are generally partial to mass hysteria. Hindu or Muslim - tears flow all too easily, chests are pounded; wailing live on CNN is practically a Pakistani national sport!
Burning of flags and Bush effigies springs to mind. So, that's the ugly face of it.
Exuberant passion and joy at any sporting victory of India / Pakistan , or anything else that inspires nationalist pride, is the nice face of it.
Just let the people be - they otherwise hardly ever win anything anyway.
Oz rules.
Apart from that I really like the Twenty format. Tests are just way too long.
This comment has been removed by the author.
"You guys in this part of the world are generally partial to mass hysteria"
Perhaps true Nick, but it does not include all those who reside in the region. There are those of us, who sincerely can't understand the silliness of such hysteria, especially when most involved are educated/balanced folks?
At the 2006 Dubai open the Sania Mirza/Martina Hingis match was *the* loudest I'd ever attended. Tennis for once felt like Soccer :)
Look, Hrithik Rosh,
There are those of us, who sincerely can't understand the silliness of such hysteria
Huh?
There is nothing to 'understand' about the silliness of hysteria.
It's in the melodramatic genes of the Subcontintent. You have it, or you don't. If you don't have it, just accept it.
Hahaha Hrithik Rosh!
That's below the belt, Nick!
Hrithik or critic - perhaps, the post/comments is an expression given lack of thiis "hysteria" gene.
Chill anon - everyone has their day. The post was not about who lost and why - but Indian media and the general public's crazy ass hysteria - combined with the pure exploitative drive from untalented, OTT melodramatic clowns at *B*ollywood!
So chin up and have a lassi.
Hrithik!
untalented, OTT melodramatic clowns at *B*ollywood
Areee wah?!
Not everything coming out of Bollywood is shite.
(OK, most of it is)
I just saw 'Swades' with Shah Rukh Khan and - surprise - it had a "message"
PS: Al, my (Panjabi) wife informs me that 'chak de' means "throw it" or "yank it" - not "lift it".
...But maybe pakistani panjabi is better than the Indian panjabi?
Nick:
Throw it? "Yank it" is closer to the real meaning. It basically is an expression to get people going. That's what sense I used "lift" as; as in "lift your spirit"?
Anonymous:
You just prove the point of my post. Thank you!
By the way, I hope you understand what "na ghar ka na ghaat ka" means? If anything, it should apply to minorities. Anyways, your excitement is getting the better of you.
Also, Shahid Afridi seemed to have spoken the best during the post-match presentation. He even congratulated the Indian nation on the victory something that neither Irfan Pathan nor the captain, Dhoni, did. Not even a slight mention of the team they played against (and almost lost too).
Aight slick nick - perhaps everything may not be shite - but the large majority sadly is. I don't watch every B-shite, but the few that I was rather forced to bear thru (which infact did well at the Box office) was pure shite.
Just googled by Swades and it didn't do well at the BO, tells you a lot about the viewers eh?
OMG what is with you people? Can't you just be like women and oggle at Shahid? He's one sexaaay thing. Only that he never learned to talk English - neither did Inzeee.
Peace to cirkit!!
lol i*.... , that wouldn't make us *guys* would it :)
i*maginate, you even know about kirkit?? And you can even name players!
I can smell (no pun intended) some desi connection! Nick used to smell (no pun intended again) desi too till he came out in the open and confirmed his desi link.
No, no, we don't die; yes we multiply... hehe.
Mr Shoaib-disliker, I been reading your cirkit posts too long, and please don't underestimate my intelligence - it would be very unwise for a chick not to have worldy knowledge of sexaay young thangs.
What are the chances of erasing the 'borders' created by the Brits?
We know it is wrong but are helpless, and this frustration manifests itself in swearing and cursing each other.
May good sense prevail, hope we can follow Germany and not the Koreas.
As for cricket, as usual in the mutual dislike for each other. All have forgotten that these young teams have beaten all the pretournament favourites! Congrats to both the teams. The top two T20 teams in the world are from the South Asia!
Ramdan Kareem!
Free Radical
PS: Media ... its a free market they have to dish up what sell (though its not very healthy)It's the same in all market economies.
What a nice comment from Anon above - can bet this ain't no SD frequenter.
Without sounding gay, we need a bit of peace, love & harmony in this world.
OMG! Is that possible?! :P rosh has the answer! And sevensummits too, in a very long format!
"Without sounding gay, we need a bit of peace, love & harmony in this world."
Wo-man, you crack me up, that's hilarious!! lol :)
OK then, at the risk of sounding like *girly men* - yes we need peace, peace comes from simply understanding one another. You are the bigger person, when you take the effort to understand the nastiest & snobbiest of 'em all.
Anon 8:22 AM - those are such warm and mature thoughts. Ramadan Kareem to you too :)
Anon @ October 07, 2007 8:22 AM
Thank you for your wonderful comments :)
I can only think of 2 persons who could have written that. Abu Musa or Abu Maryam!
Ramadhan Kareem!
Eid Mubarak!
All you nice ppl and your loved ones.
-Free Radical
Free Radical,
You are a blessing.
Thank you.
i*maginate
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