The college in question, was the Govt. Women's college in Srinagar. Qais, is a friend I met on a previous trip to Srinagar. Funny how a delayed flight, some bad air hostesses and a moment when we were certain we'd die.. got us talking! Any other way to start a conversation just isn't as dramatic!
Anyway, the girls were from a vollyball team, that we later realised had many feathers in their hat. Or in srinagar, I'd assume a monkey cap (ok, bad one!! ;) Funny how this team made a statement by just playing the game. And yet somehow.. what they wore while playing it.. went against everything they were trying to prove to begin with! The Games, the outdoor activity, the travelling for tournaments all went in sync with the average kashmiri girl wanting to break out of the stereotype. And yet, the fact that they were ONLY allowed to play that game in their school uniform.- a full white salwar kameez with their heads still firmly covered- reeked of the fact that the institution was making sure they didn't go too far with their "winds of change" ideology. That said, they beat us hands down! After that humiliating defeat Qais and me turned down the women's rugby team's (never heard of that one before!) challenge. Although in hindsight, we should've accepted it. It's a full body contact sport...remember?! ;)
Srinagar was interesting to travel to. For this leg of Minus 30, we went in looking for Sarah, the first female RJ on the first private radio station in Srinagar. We went looking for Mallik Sajjad, the 20 something cartoonist, who makes fun of the political situation in Kashmir that's otherwise only a source of constant stess for the avereage kashmiri. And we went looking for Usmaan, a Kashmiri -American ...who's funding a team of footballers in the valley, makin sure young kashmiri's do something more worthwhile than "just living in fear", as one of the footballers put it.
These were interesting people to meet. As a Bombay boy, my idea of Kashmir was the Dal lake, the houseboats.. (with veeeeeeeery thin walls btw. Heard a newly wed couple saying things that are best left unheard. And certainly best unrepeated!). I thought only of a high military presence and no social life. But our six day shoot told us they hang out just like us..despite the 8 pm deadline most houses have....thanks to the military powers that be. The fact that the lack of cinemas translates into the use of pirated dvds. And the fact they may not be able to talk freely...but girls and boys actually do what Amir khan did to Madhuri in the movie Dil, (Throwing a paper with his number.. and patiently waiting for a call!) are all very interesting!
Sure, I didn't get any calls when I threw the paper ball! Maybe because they didn't think of adding a 0 before a bombay number.. or maybe Kashmiri women just didn't find me attractive. Whatever be the case, I realised two things. First, this seems like the generation of change. And second... houseboats reaaaaaaaaaaaaly need thicker walls!
P!first published:May 22, 2007, 10:30 ISTlast updated:May 22, 2007, 10:30 IST
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There we were. Surrounded by some seven thousand girls. In a women's college. Having challenged the girls Volleyball team for a match, Qais and me were just about beginning to realise we'd clearly bitten off more than we could chew..
The college in question, was the Govt. Women's college in Srinagar. Qais, is a friend I met on a previous trip to Srinagar. Funny how a delayed flight, some bad air hostesses and a moment when we were certain we'd die.. got us talking! Any other way to start a conversation just isn't as dramatic!
Anyway, the girls were from a vollyball team, that we later realised had many feathers in their hat. Or in srinagar, I'd assume a monkey cap (ok, bad one!! ;) Funny how this team made a statement by just playing the game. And yet somehow.. what they wore while playing it.. went against everything they were trying to prove to begin with! The Games, the outdoor activity, the travelling for tournaments all went in sync with the average kashmiri girl wanting to break out of the stereotype. And yet, the fact that they were ONLY allowed to play that game in their school uniform.- a full white salwar kameez with their heads still firmly covered- reeked of the fact that the institution was making sure they didn't go too far with their "winds of change" ideology. That said, they beat us hands down! After that humiliating defeat Qais and me turned down the women's rugby team's (never heard of that one before!) challenge. Although in hindsight, we should've accepted it. It's a full body contact sport...remember?! ;)
Srinagar was interesting to travel to. For this leg of Minus 30, we went in looking for Sarah, the first female RJ on the first private radio station in Srinagar. We went looking for Mallik Sajjad, the 20 something cartoonist, who makes fun of the political situation in Kashmir that's otherwise only a source of constant stess for the avereage kashmiri. And we went looking for Usmaan, a Kashmiri -American ...who's funding a team of footballers in the valley, makin sure young kashmiri's do something more worthwhile than "just living in fear", as one of the footballers put it.
These were interesting people to meet. As a Bombay boy, my idea of Kashmir was the Dal lake, the houseboats.. (with veeeeeeeery thin walls btw. Heard a newly wed couple saying things that are best left unheard. And certainly best unrepeated!). I thought only of a high military presence and no social life. But our six day shoot told us they hang out just like us..despite the 8 pm deadline most houses have....thanks to the military powers that be. The fact that the lack of cinemas translates into the use of pirated dvds. And the fact they may not be able to talk freely...but girls and boys actually do what Amir khan did to Madhuri in the movie Dil, (Throwing a paper with his number.. and patiently waiting for a call!) are all very interesting!
Sure, I didn't get any calls when I threw the paper ball! Maybe because they didn't think of adding a 0 before a bombay number.. or maybe Kashmiri women just didn't find me attractive. Whatever be the case, I realised two things. First, this seems like the generation of change. And second... houseboats reaaaaaaaaaaaaly need thicker walls!
P!
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