Overview: Dating and marriage in India has been an unchanged, untouched tradition for many centuries past. In the past, marriages were arranged between the children of two families, almost from birth, and were only allowed to date each other, with no free say of the young fiancees on whom dates or marries whom. It was totally up to the parents to figure out who was suitable for their children. Even today, about 80% of couples in India are married out of arrangement. Now, however, with the globalization of world cultures such as India, the newer generations are discovering freedom in dating in western countries such as America which they could never have imagined even a single generation ago. One reason is the westernization of Bollywood. The stars of their version of the red carpet are mimicking the affairs and social situation that occur in Hollywood, on and off screen. The young generation looks up to these celebrities much as American youths look up to our famous divas and partiers. they in turn accept these methods of showing their admiration as their own, and learn to follow their hearts, not their parents. This causes a tug of war between the older, more traditional older generations and the younger, more free generation which yearns to follow their hearts.
Skit
Grandma: Prema! You sent almost a thousand messages lately! who could you possibly be texting so much?
Prema: Ummm... uh....
Grandma: Wait, is it that one boy who lives down the street?
Prema: *sighs*
Grandma: Shame on you Prema, you're supposed to marry the smart, intelligent, talented and handsome boy your parens and I introduced to you the day after you were born! Besides, he's got a hairy chest, don't you like that?
Prema: Ewwwww no! Besides, I think he's not as perfect as you tell me he is. as a matter of fact, he's a jerk. He doesn't feel for me, he simply wants to use me as a housewife... the boy I like is soooo much sweeter, I mean he actually cares what I think and he KNOWS how to treat me, even though he's a brahmin. It's so thoughtful that he cares about me as a person and not as a class-locked future asset of some sort. It's not like there's a caste system anymore.
Grandma: A BRAHMIN?! Sweetie, you KNOW you're supposed to marry into your caste!
Prema: Grandma, I told you, this is the 21st Century, there's NO caste system anymore. Besides, the Americans have all this freedom and look at how well they're doing. I mean, I respect tradition, but don't you think this is a little absurd?
Grandma: America's junk. They eat beef there like voracious carnivores! Besides What good are they doing here while they suffocate our old ways of life? It is your karma to live with your prearranged husband. I know as a girl I've had my issues with grandpa but look, we still get along fine.
Prema: Yeah, after you argued about who gets the last of the curry for dinner... I'll be outside... *rrrrawr*
Very "punny."
Bollywood scene; sweet, until you realize that this kind of drama exists in virtually every moviemade there...
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