Watching Hindi films is quite fascinating because as mentioned before, they seem to really know how to party hearty.
One of the festivals I've learned about is called the Karva Chauth. This is an annual one day festival which usually falls on the fourth day after a full moon in the month of Kartik (November).
Married women fast from sunrise to moonrise for the safety and longevity of their husbands. Sometimes unmarried women observe this custom for their fiances.
Preparations begin a few days in advance. On the day of the fast the women awake to eat and drink just before sunrise. The pre-dawn meal (Sargi) is prepared by the mother-in-law. It consists of sweets, almonds and lots of love and good wishes. (I guess this custom limits the number of mother-in-laws that some claim are from hell?.....just thinking out loud) The day passes meeting friends and family. No housework is done on that day (wow a day without housework....where can I sign up?)
Below is a clip from Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham showing one such festival. Of course my favorite actor Shah Rukh Khan is in this clip along with Kajol (in red), who portrays his wife. Hrithik Roshan is his brother and Kareena Kapoor, his sister-in-law who in the movie becomes engaged to Hrithik. Also starring in the movie are Bollywood legends Amitabh Bachchan and his real life wife Jaya Bachchan. My 10 year old granddaughter Kanami loves the music from this film. She has it on her IPod and loves to sing this song and a couple of others from this movie.
Another festival that looks like fun is called Holi. It is a religious festival celebrated by Hindus to welcome Spring and a time to enjoy Spring's abundant colors and say farewell to Winter. Throwing scented colored powders and perfume at each other is all part of this festival along with a lot of hugging.
Here is a clip showing Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri enjoying this festival with their family and friends.
Yet another ritual is the application of a Bindi, a red dot (vermilion) in the center of the forehead between the eyebrows. The color red represents honor, love and prosperity. Some believe that it is a way to worship one's intellect. By doing this it helps to keep your thoughts pure, to stand up to challenges with courage and to make noble decisions in life. Wow....what a concept!
During a wedding ceremony, the groom will also place vermilion at the center parting of the hair as shown above.
And....oh.....the brides are so beautifully dressed with jewels and usually the color red for their dress. They have their hands and feet painted with henna and the jewelry never quits! Here is Aishwarya Rai in wedding garb. Aishwarya is often referred to as "the most beautiful woman in the world" by the media after winning the Miss World Pageant in 1994.
Here is another scene from Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham that shows a wedding reception. During this clip, Shah Rukh Khan flirts with Kajol, the bride's best friend...but you can catch a glimpse of the bride and the jewels. At this reception the holy man will double check the birth charts of the bride and groom and say whether the marriage ceremony is approved or not. The groom has his face covered...I'm not sure why....but he is told that the marriage has been sanctioned. This is one of my favorite parts of the movie. Ditto for Kanami too.
No wonder the wedding party goes on for days! Gosh....Shah Rukh looks so handsome in the above clip! He and Kajol have such great on screen presence as a couple.
There are certainly other festivals that I believe are just so beautiful and touching.....I'll cover those on future posts.
Shah Rukh Khan is a Muslim and his wife Gauri is Hindu. They were married three times in observance of both their religions. Their children are being raised to worship both religions and are being taught about other religions as well, which is how Shah Rukh was raised. In this next clip filmakers are having a discussion on stereotyping Muslims post 9/11 in the Hindi film industry.
The film they are discussing is a very beautifully put together film written and directed by Karan Johar. It is definitely a film worth seeing.... about the effects on a family worshipping both Muslim and Hindu faiths.
The film is called My Name is Khan.....and it is available on Netflix. Don't miss this beautiful film! When travelling to America, Shah Rukh Khan has been detained more than once at the airport for several hours because of his name....just like in this movie. The latest was an incident just months ago (in April) when he was invited by Yale University to accept a Chubb Fellowship and speak to the students.
In the clip below, Rizwan Khan is trying to console Mandira after the death of her son. Shah Rukh and Kajol put in stellar performances for this movie.
In an interview Shah Rukh tells how while filming this movie he would go home with such a headache because of the way he used his face to make his character seem more authentic. He portrays a man with Asperger Syndrome, a form of autism.
I believe that with this movie and the lifestyle that Shah Rukh and Gauri have with their children is a step in the right direction for Peace and I whole heartedly applaud them! A wonderful custom for World Peace in our lifetime is the freedom of religion!
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