Are we ashamed of wearing dhotis?
I think there is no answer to this question but rather
another question can be asked, i.e. What?
Now the present scenario is, the more we neglect our own
culture, the more important we feel. In fact this attitude always existed even
when we were under the Communist government.
India got independence in the year 1947 from the British
rule. By the way, what independence we are talking about?
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| Interview |
Mrinal Sen’s “Interview” is about an entire day of a man
(Ranjit Mallick) in 1970, where he struggles to appear for an interview of an
Indo-British firm in the city of Calcutta. Here in the film, he fulfills all the criteria to get the
job except one important thing. One formal black suit is required to appear for
the interview. It is the most vital requirement for this job.
The film is made in a documentary style, where camera follows
the protagonist character Ranjit Mallick. It brings the audience into a
communication medium, where they can start asking questions to the protagonist character
who intends to search for a suit throughout the film to borrow from his friends
but at last fails to manage it.
Just because of a suit you didn’t get the job? Are you
feeling sad?
Of course the answer is “YES”. Now the main question for the
reader of this blog:
Currently, we are more concerned about wearing branded
clothes than our own handmade products.
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| Gandhi (wearing dhoti) with Charkha /spinning wheel |
The Khadi movement was started by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
in the year 1918 with an ideology that Indians should be self reliant on Hemp
and free themselves from the high priced goods & clothes that the British
were selling to them. Gandhi promoted the spinning of Khadi (hand-woven cloth)
for rural self employment & later started only wearing Dhoti. Thus it
symbolizes his ideology of independence.
Nowadays the trend is going towards the exchange of culture & the modernization of technology where the term independence is again looking for a new meaning.
And what do you personally think about wearing dhoti? Would you wear it? The clothes you wear, where are they made?
ReplyDeleteNow we are going through a period of Cultural exchange and people mostly from outside India are adopting the style of wearing Dhoti. I personally think that one must feel comfortable wearing dhoti and if not, must try different clothes. I wear all kind of clothes and I like Khadi made clothes as well because it is cheap and comfortable. Indian politicians wear Khadi made clothes but that doesn't mean they don't wear western clothes. One must try everything and must not feel ashamed of wearing traditional dress.
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