Desi News Corp - Index

Desi News Corp - Desi News - Feb 09 - Index

in after her were served first.
“I have experienced it
several times, but it has never
been too strong and direct
enough and I have just
shrugged and carried on with
a smile and the thought that it
takes all kinds to make up this
world. But when it happened
to me about a year ago, I was
so angry and upset that I still
have not forgotten it.
“I was to model some
optical frames and was asked
to go to the store, pick up the
frames and then drive to the
location of the shoot. I was
also told that everything would
be ready, all I had to say was
that I was the model and they
would hand over the required
frames. I got to store 45
minutes before my shoot
reporting time – my calculation
was 30 minutes to pick up the
frames and 15 minutes to reach
the location that I had already
Googled, so that there would
be no surprises. When I got
there, the desi man in charge
of the store ignored my
request. At first I waited
politely, thinking that he was
busy. After about 10 minutes,
I asked him again how long it
would take. He responded
nastily, saying that he was busy
serving customers and how was
he to trust any stranger walking
in and asking for frames. There
were absolutely no customers
and he had three other assistants
who were hanging around
doing nothing.
“Then a Caucasian woman
who was also modelling came in.
This was about 15 minutes later.
She was served in five minutes,
and was on her way to the
location. That’s when I got mad,
but he continued to ignore me. I
had to call the producer and
director before that man in the
store gave me the necessary
Nariman Photos
frames. Very slowly and grudgingly
he chose the frames, listed
them, made me sign against them
and only then I was able to leave.
It was as though I was there to
steal the frames. Had it not been
that I had committed to do the
shoot, I would have walked out
immediately. And had I not been
raised the way I have been, I
would have created a mega scene
there before leaving.
“I am not sure what that
man’s problem was, but some
desis who I know socially have
said that they do not like to
serve desis in a friendly or
polite manner because then
they expect extras or freebies
or special treatment just
because they are desi.
“I also think that it is the
age-old fawning attitude that
some desis have towards whiteskinned
people. It is just
something that people have
grown up with and don’t see it
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as being discriminatory.”
Does she see this changing
any time soon?
“Sure, when desis stop advertising
for a fair complexioned
bride. When they stop associating
white with good and black
with bad. When we learn not
to treat some as more equal than
others simply because they are
‘fair’ or white or obviously
wealthy. This is so ingrained in
us that it is going to take a long
time to bring about a change.
“That is partly what I have
addressed in my play The Kallus
Next Door. I like my stories to
have a useful message, delivered
with humour; without
being preachy. These stories
help us to better learn, adapt,
change – anything, to live our
lives more fully and productively.
I would love to do a play on
reverse racism.
“Do let me know if you come
across a script!”
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