My View- Coldplay-Hymn for the weekend

    

     India is getting increasingly intolerant. Aren't we hearing this quite often? And if you haven't heard it yet, be sure to watch the Newshour and you'll get your dose of the word 'intolerant' from Arnab 'The Nation wants to know' Goswami.
     I can't answer whether India is intolerant or no. Because having learnt research methodology I want proper numbers. Maybe we have always been intolerant; but you didn't feel it until a few years ago because you didn't have a large screened smartphone with fast internet, 2-3 social media apps, with viral-social-media websites giving you biased conclusions of a news report.
     You never know? Endless possibilities.
     Coming back to the topic, having seen the whole video Coldplay- Hymn for the weekend, I have no issues against the video. Nothing is out of the ordinary. You come across most of the shots, locations the minute you step out of your house, whether you live in city or rural areas.
     A few years back people celebrated Slumdog Millionaire winning an Oscar as if it was produced, directed by an Indian. That film actually set foreigners perception of India as a poor, filthy country more than a 4 minute song. But the latter is facing so much ire.
     What is the problem with people playing Holi in the video? Does it have to be put bluntly in the video with a calendar showing the day as "Rangpanchmi" for them to celebrate the festival?
     If you have a problem with Beyonce's every inch of skin decked up with jewellery? Please go turn on your tv to any Hindi entertainment show, and you'll see women sleeping with those massive jewellery and makeup on.
     Bringing me to the recurrent occurences of Sadhus, and children dressed as gods in the videos. A country obsessed with religion. Ask yourself truly, are we not? If Sadhus in India can sell noodles and another following suit, can't they be in the video being themselves? And every fancy dress show you'll find atleast 1 kid dressed up as Hanuman and everyone gushing over how cute the child looks.
     And if you think the video is adding to the image of India as a fire-blower, snake charmer country, you should know that the India's highest rated TV show is 'Naagin' on Colors Tv, a show with 'Ichchadhari Naag and Nevla (mongoose). Other top rated shows include one with kaala jaadu (black magic), possession etc.
     If you live in a city like Mumbai, you come across almost everything that happens in the video everyday- slums, people celebrating some festival and blocking traffic, sadhus, beggars, child labourers.

     I accept that there is also another India, where people wear formals, brave traffic or crowded public transport, have lunch between 1-2, and come back in the same way. But that doesn't make the former portrait as false. Both exist.
     
    P.S.- One hindi news channel had a problem with the shot of a person smoking, saying it is portraying that drug taking behaviour happens in India. Shouldn't you, being a news channel, know more about the drug problem?