One of my distant neighbours hosted his daughter's annaprashan yesterday and pulled out all stops to make the event a grand success. He's apparently one of the "Local Elders" and had brought in lights, flowers, fireworks and a big fleet of cars as proof of his clout, power and wealth. Nothing wrong so far. What jarred on my sensibilities was the wedding band they'd hired- they were playing "Raja ki ayegi baraat..." when I left for work in the morning; I returned home to the off-key gusto of "Shayad meri shaadi Ka khayal..."! Gosh during dinner my ears were being assaulted by "Didi tera dewar deewana"!!! I mean, did they confuse their own daughter's rice ceremony with her wedding???
My husband says I should not be so judgmental and pseudo-aantel in my assessment, but somehow I find such stupendous display of stupidity and puerile poor taste hard to stomach. I still haven't forgiven the decorator who ruined the otherwise awesome job he did at my wedding by springing clowns, Mickey Mouse and Charlie Chaplin onto a horrified me and the unsuspecting but bewildered guests! I still cringe with shame, embarrassment and horror everytime I recall watching helplessly from the dais Charlie Chaplin merrily getting himself clicked with an unamused but much too dignified to protest elderly relative. I mean, where did he get the idea from???
So it is that I find such ostentatiously random ways of celebrating extremely crass. Am I being too mean? :-/