We are a loud society. Accept it. I do. We hear people speaking at the top of their voice in crowded train compartments, absolutely unaware and unashamed that their secrets, the way they live, their misery, is being heard by all. We can't speak softly because we aren't trained to speak thusly. We are a loud people. Watch the way we dress: evening shirts during the day, patterned shirt, patterned jeans. The ringtones on our mobile phones are set at the loudest, because we want to be noticed. On the way home, in a crowded compartment we hear at least a few mobile phones blaring loud music on the FM radio. This happens when there is no space to stand. This happens when we need a little peace and quite after the high-decibel-high-testosterone maelstrom we have endured in the office fighting with suppliers and with colleagues.
When we reach home there are at least half a dozen loudspeakers blaring music in our locality. Our televisions are turned to the loudest volumes because our neighbors want it to be know which are their favourite programs, so that they can induce us to see it. Our advertisements are the loudest, the most boisterous, the most flashiest.
Yesterday I saw an ad for a car which was shot in a part of Bombay they usually shoot these sort of ads. Actually it is Horniman Circle where a few grimy and battered building (I don't remember the names) were made to resemble some faux-European city. They wanted to give the car a foreign look. The reason I am mentioning this is that it looked very flashy. And, pray, why an European city in an Indian ad? Why can't we be proud of our history and show the buildings at Horniman Circle as it it. We like to exaggerate a lot. We are loud. Watch any Hindi Movie.
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