International Mumbai: Make me a FEMALE star

A quick recount of my week includes dabbling in the Bollywood movie industry, witnessing the arrival of the monsoons (although they are arriving very late this season), and continuing my research at Russell Reynolds Associates.

First, A Bollywood movie promo. Late last week, I was at a coffee shop in a very upscale mall. In the courtyard of the mall were hundreds of people gathered around a stage. I ventured into the crowd and learned that it was a Bollywood promotion. In the Indian Bollywood film industry, the producers release the music from the movie a month before the movie comes out in theaters. By performing it somewhere, they build consumer interest in the film. In classic Indian fashion, the performance at the mall was supposed to start at 6:30 but did not start until 8:00. Two famous actors and singers came out and performed this particular movie's songs. The crowd was really diverse, ranging from cab drivers to girls in crop tops and booty shorts. Everyone was shooting pictures with their phones and media cameras were everywhere. After some time, Arnav and his friends came to join me. Another singer /piano player came out, and one of Arnav’s friends said to us, “He was put in jail six days ago for fighting.” Guess that did not last long.

Friends enjoying the Bollywood promotion.

I love Bollywood movies. They are cheesy, but so much fun. Some people think they are ridiculous, and many of them are, but I am a huge fan. I never stop smiling the entire time I am watching them. One thing to understand: the music that is made for Bollywood movies is the music that plays on the radio and fills the Top 100 songs in the charts here. Bollywood movies reach every type of person, from the richest billionaire to the people in the Guwahati slum who save up their rupees to go see the latest release. If someone offered me a contract to be in a Bollywood film, I just might have to forget about everything else and do it. It’s a guilty pleasure of mine, a silly obsession.

Anyway, the music release at the mall was only my first brush with Bollywood. Arnav has a cousin who is in her first Bollywood film after working up the ranks. We were invited to her music release and film promotion at the Marriot, a fancy hotel. Her co-star comes from a very prominent and historic Bollywood family; therefore, he did not have to work up the ranks. I have never been in such a celeb filled room; people like Kareena Kapoor, Karisma Kapoor and A.R. Rahman. Look them up on a google and you can understand. I was fascinated watching the media interact with these extremely famous celebrities who are dressed to the nine and used to flashes shining in their face. We got to go backstage and experience the private media session along with stand close to some millionares in the Bollywood industry. Needless to say, that was my time to get a contract to be a Bollywood actress, and it did not happen.

Aranv and me. In the background is Arnav's cousin.

Arnav's sister (Aditi), Arnav, Aranv's Mom (Deepika)

A few of the performers singing as they release the movie's music.

Arnav's cousin, Deeksha and her co-star Armaan.

Left to right: A.R. Rahman, movie director, movie producer, news anchor, two actors.

The Kapoor family releasing the CD.

Deeksha (Arnav's cousin), Armaan Jain.

While these women have taken over the film industry, other notable women are beginning to take over Indian banks and supply chains. After doing some research, I discovered that the top three Indian banks are all run by powerful women (HSBC, Axis, ICICI). One of my projects is to create a profile for top-talent females in marketing, supply chains and that sector. There are plenty of women in HR, and plenty of women working in massive companies in the lower level sector. And then, there are a few women who are way up in the hierarchy. But there are no women in between the lower and the higher management.
The differences in urban and rural understandings of women are extreme, just like the lifestyles. Large corporate companies are beginning to find it important to fill their management with “diversity,” otherwise known as females. Except for Delhi, most of the rapes that happen in India, occur in villages. In Mumbai, you will see women having coffee with each other or having a girls’ day out. My observation was that in Guwahati, it was not like that. Parents give their daughters much more freedom here; they are allowed to stay out with friends until the wee hours of the morning.

Not to make a generalization, but in the United States, most secretaries or front desk workers are females and most cleaners are female. Here that is not the case. From what I have concluded, once you start getting to lower level jobs, employers are pulling from a different class of people. They are pulling from the lower class. Most likely, as a lower class family, nobody has a job. And if anyone is going to get a job, it’s the man in the family. So men fill the secretary and cleaning positions.

Just some thoughts as I continue to experience a different side of India.

Sending some Bollywood songs your way,

Hannah Dobie

P.S. The monsoons are beginning to start. It’s unbelievable how much it can rain in five minutes. It does not seem to bother many people, but I bought an umbrella just in case.