Forget the old English proverb, ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do.’ That may work for Romans. It certainly does not work for Indians.
We are perhaps the only people on earth who carry our culture in hand baggage, check-in luggage and, if necessary, excess baggage. Whether it is Europe, America, Australia, Africa or Southeast Asia, we remain gloriously, unapologetically Indian.
After all, if we start behaving like Romans in Rome, Vietnamese in Vietnam and Australians in Australia, what remains of our carefully cultivated Indianness?
Exporting culture, one dance step at a time
The latest exhibit in this grand cultural outreach programme comes from Hanoi’s famous Train Street, where a group of Indian tourists decided that the narrow railway track was not merely a tourist attraction but an extension of a Bollywood film set.
The chosen soundtrack was, naturally, Chaiyya Chaiyya. One cannot really blame them. The song was filmed on a moving train. Train Street has a train. The logical connection was irresistible.
Newton had gravity. Archimedes had buoyancy. Indian tourists have Bollywood. The moment a railway track appears, some invisible force compels a section of us to break into synchronised dance.
Flash mobs never really died
Remember flash mobs? For a brief period, humanity collectively lost its mind and decided that airports, railway stations, shopping malls, and public squares were all suitable venues for sudden choreographed dancing.
Indians embraced the concept with characteristic enthusiasm. We did not merely participate in flash mobs. We adopted them, naturalised them, and gave them Aadhaar cards.
The craze may have faded elsewhere, but its spirit survives in every tourist destination where a camera phone is switched on and someone says, ‘Guys, one reel before we leave.’
The pilgrimage of the reel
Tourism itself has undergone a dramatic transformation. Earlier, people travelled to see places. Today, many travel to be seen at places.
The destination is merely a backdrop. The real attraction is the social media post announcing that one has conquered yet another landmark with a dance routine, a dramatic pose or a motivational quote.
The Eiffel Tower, the Swiss Alps and Vietnam’s Train Street are increasingly functioning as oversized studio sets. The traveller returns home with very little knowledge of the destination but with 47 reels, 113 photographs and a firm conviction that the trip was a success.
Main character syndrome goes global
Critics have accused the Hanoi dancers of displaying what social media calls ‘main character syndrome’ – the belief that the world exists primarily as a supporting cast in one’s personal movie.
The accusation may be unfair. Indians do not necessarily believe they are the main character. We simply believe every location deserves a song sequence.
Unfortunately, local residents and fellow tourists do not always share this artistic vision. What looks like harmless fun to one group can appear disruptive, inconsiderate or unsafe to others, particularly when the setting involves an active railway track.
Soft power with a loud soundtrack
To be fair, something is endearing about this phenomenon. Unlike many national exports, ours usually comes with music, colour and enthusiasm.
The trouble begins when exuberance crosses the thin line separating cultural expression from public nuisance.
Every traveller becomes, willingly or otherwise, an ambassador of the country he or she represents. Fair or unfair, strangers often judge a nation through the behaviour of the tourists they encounter. That places a small burden on all of us.
The final station
The dancers on Hanoi’s Train Street probably intended nothing more sinister than a bit of holiday fun and a memorable reel. Yet the controversy reveals a larger truth about the age of social media.
The modern tourist no longer asks, ‘What can I learn from this place?’ The question is increasingly, ‘What content can I create here?’
As for the old saying, perhaps it needs an Indian update. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. When in Vietnam, do as Indians do. And if there happens to be a railway track nearby, somebody please start playing Chaiyya Chaiyya.
