At first, it was the backyard, near the well. Then it slowly moved to the bushes and now has entered the house. The receptacle of choice is the potted plant. And I’m not exaggerating.
I would be hard put to identify the movie that actually shows a heroine or sister vomiting into a potted plant but they exist, and many of you from India would be familiar with this scene, or the others described above.
I’m talking about the way impending babies are announced in the Indian movies. Especially when they are born outside marriage, and three months into the pregnancy. (No, says a friend, even the inside-marriage kinds are announced that way. And why on earth do you want to write about this in a food blog, she asks, don’t you fear putting off your readers?) Forget the pregnancy bit, puke is shown when the character is unwell too – is it necessary to show it in such revolting detail? I just happened to be channel-surfing and came across this all too familiar scene. In the latest movie I watched too. Please, movie-makers, can we be spared these graphic, repulsive scenes – of vomit cascading in white globs or jets? And don’t tell me all those who are expecting/ just plain unwell don’t have the time to run into the bathroom before it happens. The friend above also points out that she has seen movies where, if the pregnant/sick one is attired in Westernwear, she is seen rushing to the bathroom, but if she is sari-clad, she almost always throws up al fresco. I would make concessions for old movies – not too many bathrooms or wash basins or WCs, especially in rural households – but in this day and age? And into plants? Please don’t do this to us, especially when we’re settling down in front of the TV with a plate full of food!
Indian movies
hey sra, ee movie choosaru intha emotional ga blog lo rasaru, India entha munduki vellina inka intali symbolism choopistaru movies lo,another classic scene is ammayi mundu chala head strong ga untadi pelli avvagane automatic ga edo split personality unnatu pedda jada,bottu, poddune puja etc etc.This happens only in India lol :)
ReplyDeleteHow true!
ReplyDeleteLoved your post:-)
HILARIOUS!! Oh and you forgot the perennial question that starts the day you are married: koi good news hain kya ;)?
ReplyDeletehaha...thoroughly enjoyed ur post dear....Very well said...and thatz so true...haven't much noticed it until u I read ur post......Really....We begin to enjoy our meals and such scenes are unbearable to watch.......
ReplyDeleteNice narration dear :-)
are you okay, sra? you're supposed to bounce off the walls in delirious ecstasy for the pukey woman, even if she's feeling like shyte.
ReplyDeleteshe's no longer 'just a woman' now. she's the precious incubator, and you are supposed to herald her celebrated status.
ha ha..it is embarrasing when ur parents are near..coz everyone knows the 'puke' but.....
ReplyDeleteanother thing i wanted to point out..when the heroine is shown the first time and is romancing..she wears the skimpiest of attires and prances around..the minute there is a break-up..here come the tight salwaar kameez with dupatta's on their throats and deeeeep necks!!
eehhhwwww Sra, why did you feel like blogging about this?
ReplyDeleteSra, I totally agree with you...yesterday I was watching this Tamil movie over dinner and here was the hero puking after getting drunk..Gross! And that too the director shows a flat front view of the scene...It's disgusting and repulsive..Needless to say, I had to put away my dinner till I diverted my mind off it...
ReplyDeleteammayi mundu chala head strong ga untadi pelli avvagane automatic ga edo split personality unnatu pedda jada,bottu, poddune puja etc etc.
ReplyDeleteI so agree with Sreelu. I remember this even from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai... the transformed Kajol with sari etc that SRK falls in love with... like he didn't know she existed when she wore tracks!!
Movies insult our sensibilities... most Indian movies... we had a maid who had 14 kids and she'd say to my mom, "Enna ma kaattaraanga... 14 prasavam, oru thadave kooda vaandiye edukkalai!" (What are they showing Amma... 14 pregnancies and I didn't puke even once!)
Sreelu, not so much emotional as thoroughly disgusted - I've always been disgusted at how sick it is - now I have a forum to express it. You mentioned headstrong, right - haven't you also noticed how she falls in love with the hero after he's slapped her to put her in her place! @#$%^&*
ReplyDeleteTBC, thanks. I had my doubts about posting it.
Dhana, I know, it's amazing how early people start asking!
Sirisha, glad I was able to make you notice.
Bee, don't start me off ... who cares if she feels like shyte when the larger agenda, the raison d'etre is being taken care of?
Rajitha, I remember when we were watching some rain dance, my dad broke up the embarassment by saying they look like they're washing clothes. And not just in a break-up, the minute she gets engaged, etc, she changes over to traditional dress. And her short hair becomes a long plait, like Sreelu said.
Sharmi, I knew someone would react like this. Sorry dear, but really, I couldn't not say it.
Chandrika, glad you identify - it's not as if it's a Nightmare on Elm Street or something!
truly its so sick right i have faced so many times i just fell like switching off the tv. you did point out the right thing.
ReplyDeletei enjoyed the post :)
Cruel and unusual punishment of potted plants is what it is. Why potted plants? If anybody puked into a plant I was trying to keep alive - for whatever reason - they wouldnt be alive much longer than the plant!
ReplyDeleteHey Sra what a delightful post ,and coming to think of it ,its soooo true!
ReplyDelete:))))
ReplyDeleteWhich movie, the new ones are pretty slick I thought
ReplyDeleteSra, how could I miss the hero slapping the heroine right before the interval,that pretty much changes the next half of the movie, such a scrap.especially Karan Johar I think he lives in a wonderland, I watch his movies only for Manish Malhotra designs and nothin else
ReplyDeleteYikes!!! Whats up with you girl???
ReplyDelete:D I sooo agree with you.... it is sooo gross! Can't they just pee on a stick like in the English movies? :D
ReplyDeleteIn Western (may be just Umrikan) films, the puker usually heads for the 'potty' to do the deed. Getting your mouth so close to a potty...this is double yucky.
ReplyDeleteCan you tell I have older kids who just love such topics? :)
ROFL..... :))))))))
ReplyDeleteHi Raaga, 14 kids, my word! Even I know a lot of women who didn't throw up - and did you notice how they always realise only in the third month?
ReplyDeleteThank you, Roopa, glad you approve, LOL!
Shyam, that was so funny!
Bindiya, glad you enjoyed it!
Mishmash, HA HA HA!
Sandeepa, slick vs traditional - guess what wins when you can't combine the two?
Sreelu, I go for Shah Rukh!
Jyothsna, sorry darling, but be warned! [evil grin]
Sig, no 'honeybags' in India, no piss sticks either (traditional, giddy-headed heroines don't know such things are available, and it would be a trial to explain to the masses)
Cooker, yes, they show them resting their head on the toilet seat, I've noticed. Tell your kids my friend and I even discussed whether it would fertilise the plants, and my friend said, well, maybe fungi like mushrooms would grow - wouldn't your kids love to have me for a friend?
Sia, did you notice the picture as well? I was so proud of my painting, nobody's mentioned it. :(
Yha these are such nasty scenes while watching something rolls in my tummy. I just hate to watch them. Yha what Sreelu said is true. Indian film makers have to grow.
ReplyDeleteSra it is true whay ou are writting.
ReplyDeleteI was reading the others comment and i loved from raaga. What her servant was saying about her pregnancy to her mom.
But i thinking giving birth scens are more terribl. When i see them screaming and shouting i am sitting there and saying how come i didn't do all these thamasa.
If my daughter is watchingthe movie with me i turn to her and tell don't believe all what u see in these movies :-))))
And about the blood group diet book. You are O my hubby to and it is pretty depressive for him, if he looks to the book he tell well from now on he will go for starvation as he may not eat most of the things....
Sra, couldn't the expectant mother just ask for pickles and ice cream? I can't speak for Indian movies, never having seen one, but American flicks are heavily into all kinds of gross and grotesque graphic imagery, the kind that would make me want to run to the plumbing.
ReplyDeleteRamya, true. They probably worry that the audiences won't accept it, and it's a business after all! But are audiences really so poorly-informed or living in the past?
ReplyDeleteHappy Cook, you didn't shout and scream? You're one brave girl!
Everytime I look at that book, I get depressed
Susan, not sure if you mentioned graphic imagery in the context of this discussion - I've not noticed such things in English movies - but you reminded me about pickles - in our movies, the heroine always is caught trying to sneak some sour (mango) pickle out of the kitchen/jar/storeroom.
Sra, what I meant was generally American movies that are rated R often have very violent or disgusting behavior explicitly played out by the characters, not pregnant women in particular. And the TV ads are pretty explicit, too.
ReplyDeleteSusan, yeah, I know. Think it was Nightmare on Elm St, not sure, haven't seen the full movie but remember a scene where someone vomits fat slugs. Yech!
ReplyDeleteheee heee i know our desi movies are like that ..over-sterotyped
ReplyDeleteoh yes sra babes;) i did notice that pic... u should be proud of it as i can never(in capital N) use ms paint to draw , even single staright line!!!! dou'h....
ReplyDeleteYikes.. You said it...The movies nowadays depict yucky puky scenes...
ReplyDeleteRachna, sometimes I feel they're sterotyped into the next century as well!
ReplyDeleteSia, thanks babe. I think I'll draw more such pix with Paint!
Rachel, welcome!
go ahead girl :)
ReplyDeleteinteresting!
ReplyDeleteBtw, that picture looks very cute :)