The moon, a sieve, some sindoor, and a husband (or someone close enough). Everyone's gaga over Karva Chauth, Bollywood style.
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| Aishwarya Rai anticipating Karva Chauth, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam |
The depiction of numerous Karva Chauth scenes in Hindi movies since the mid-1990s has popularised the festival to such an extent that, according to local reports, it's being observed in parts of India which didn't have a history of practicing the tradition. Once mainly common in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and much of the Hindi-speaking belt, its spread is being felt in places like Maharashtra, West Bengal, and even the south, promising something for everyone including the cynics (for the latter to ponder: it's now a Hallmark holiday in India known as Husband's Day--I am not kidding I bought a card as evidence).
So, how have Bollywood movies transformed Karva Chauth? (A word of warning to feminists to stop holding their breaths. They do not question traditional assumptions of patriarchy and marriage--but then did you really expect them to?)
1. Fasting all day without so much as a sip of water makes one radiant (and so should you)
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| A saas-bahu Karva Chauth moment Hema Malini & Rani Mukherji, Baabul |
Perhaps it's the special glow of the moon, or maybe their skin glistens as they break out in a cold sweat having fasted all day. Whatever it is, the women gather up the stamina to doll themselves up and look gorgeous. The guys on the other hand, tend to stagger in for the pooja either in run-of-the-mill white pyjama suits or their work clothes (Yes Boss, for example). They are, after all, bringing home the bread--we shouldn't expect much. Notable rays of Karva Chauth radiance come to mind in the form of the ever-stunning Aishwarya Rai as she recollects her past in the song, Chand Chhupa Badal Mein (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, 1999), and (even I am shocked at myself as I write this) a rare show of non-sluttiness by Shamita Shetty in the song, Agar Tum Mil Jao (Zeher, 2005), as she serenades Emraan Hashmi (eww) on the auspicious day. Hema Malini and Rani Mukherji as the fasting saas-bahu duo in Baabul (2005) looked perfectly decked out having their last meal at 4 am, a time better suited to fuzzy slippers and crumpled robes than solah sringaar.
2. It's the ultimate form of romance especially if it's on the sly (Nothing says, 'I love you', like hypo-glycemic shock.)
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| The perfect Karva Chauth ruse Shah Rukh Khan & Kajol Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge |
As with all else filmi, Bollywood has succeeded in capturing the cotton candy side of what is considered to be one of the most difficult and pious fasts in the Hindu tradition. To be fair, it is what we watch these movies for. Aditya Chopra's modern classic Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge (1995) (DDLJ) is largely credited with propelling Karva Chauth into the modern-day psyche as the ultimate test of romantic love. It's probably helped by some rather mushy (which I must admit, I love) scenes between Simran (Kajol) and Raj (Shah Rukh Khan), and the annoyingly catchy tune set to the recurring melody of Ghar Aaja Pardesi. Who can forget the scene when Raj likens Simran to the moon by pointing to her reflection in a mirror, or the late-night rooftop rendez-vous when Simran insists that Raj feed her the first bite of food and give her the first sip of water to break her fast, culminating in her fake-out fainting in front of everyone? Reprising the theme eight years later, Ishq Vishk (2003), also built on the starve-for-your-secret-love theme and included a scene with Payal (Amrita Rao) fasting for her best friend-turned beau, Rajiv (Shahid Kapoor), who sneaks into her bedroom so she can perform the pooja.
3. If he really loves you, he'll fast too. (Aww... now the two of you can rest in adjoining cots strung up to a joint glucose drip.)
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| Stolen Karva Chauth moments Shah Rukh Khan & Kajol in DDLJ |
We have DDLJ to blame for women everywhere feeling crappy if their husbands/significant others don't at least feign to fast with them on Karva Chauth. I found the surprise fast in DDLJ by Raj ending with a secret Karva Chauth meal on the rooftop utterly endearing. It's become so much the politically correct thing to do in Bollywood, that real life superstar husbands, Askhay Kumar and Abhishek Bachchan, claim to be fasting with their wives, Twinkle Khanna and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, respectively, and compel those who cannot to provide a reason why (see Amitabh Bachchan's tweet T-166).
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| Amitabh Bachchan & Hema Malini in a happier Karva Chauth, Baghban |
The reciprocal fasting in Baghban (2003) between a senior (yet very unoriginally named) couple, Raj and Pooja Malhotra (played by Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini), on the other hand, made me nauseous. But then again, there was many a nauseating moment in this film. For one, it is unbelievable that even in the modern age, Raj Malhotra's daughter-in-law (or her servants) who is also fasting, would not have arranged to have any cooked meals made for the evening. Equally unbelievable is that his son, daughter-in-law, and grandson would have left him alone at home with no food (knowing that he fasts) while they chow down at some restaurant after the pooja. And of course, the ultimate level of disbelief came when the only thing the two perfectly healthy and active seniors could do was cry into the phone and sing pathetic songs rather than arrange to have met on what was made out to be the most important day in their lives.
4. If you're not married, fast for the guy you want. If you don't get him, treat it as a dry run for the guy you end up with.
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| Aishwarya Rai & Abhishek Bachchan's first Karva Chauth Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke |
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| The not-so-happy Karva Chauth Ajay Devgun & Aishwarya Rai Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam |
5. There's only one way to celebrate Karva Chauth... the Punjabi way... oh, and there will be dance!
The homogenised depiction of what were and, for the most part still are, extremely varied regional and community-based Karva Chauth practices all go one way (much like everything else in Bollywood). The practices of sargi (a special set of offerings for the bahu by her mother-in-law) which was popularised in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, looking at the moon through a sieve and then capturing your husband's image in it, and the passing of the pooja thali around a circle in a group of women are largely all Punjabi customs.
There is nothing wrong with this but some variety (especially, when the lead characters are not Punjabi, as was the Gujarati Nandini in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam) would quell some of that KC déjà vu. Mostly though, rather than succumbing to dizzying headaches, our main characters rejoice in fast-paced twirls and group dances à la Bole Chudiyaan in K3G and Mera Mahi in Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke.
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| A family Karva Chauth Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham |
Happiness isn't happiness without a healthy dose of love and starvation.
