Quiet on the set

I met a movie star today. A Bollywood movie star. Aamir Khan, comparable to the likes of Hollywood's George Clooney, was filming an action movie in a construction yard today. Thanks to the arrangement of a friend of a friend, we were heading to the set around 3pm this afternoon. By 3:45, we were in his trailer shaking his hand and introducing ourselves. He was wearing a khaki Mumbai police uniform for his role. He had just been called to set, so we followed him to where the shot was being set up.

We sat in chairs behind the director, Reema Kagti, with her earphones on and eyes focused on the monitor. We watched them film about 8 takes of one scene, then Aamir (or A-Khan as we've dubbed him) came over to chat. We sat for a while and talked about Canada, cricket, travels, and teaching. About 4 years ago, he produced and starred in a movie, "Taare Zameen Par" (Every Child is Special), about the pressures and expectations Indian children face in school at such a young age, and particularly the treatment of children with learning and mental disabilities. We watched it a couple weeks ago while in Agra. Being that the 4 girls I am travelling with are all teachers, one of which is continuing her studies specifically in disability management, the movie was a hit in our group.

After chatting for a bit, Aamir was called back to set to film a couple more takes of a different shot. His assistant escorted us to another spot nearby and the director yelled at us to walk faster and get out of her shot. The day's shooting was called to a wrap and we headed back to his trailer. We sat in one part of the trailer while he changed to head home. He came and sat down with us again and signed the stack of DVDs we hauled in with us. 8 copies of Taare Zameen Par and 5 copies of "3 Idiots," a follow-up of sorts to the former, about high school students competing to make it into university. The autograph sessions was followed up with a quick photo outside his trailer. There was a small crowd of people waiting for an autograph and to snap a picture. I think we all ended up in their photos.

It was an exciting last day to have in Mumbai. The past 3 1/2 weeks have been pretty amazing and it was a great way to top it all off. I've covered 5 states in India and feel like I've barely scratched the surface. My time in Kenya prepared me for a lot of what I saw (and smelled), and to always look both ways when crossing a one-way street. But I definitely had some very new experiences in India. I was able to experience the home team win the Cricket World Cup. I witnessed an already vibrant country come alive and celebrate a national victory with cheers, chants, and fireworks (lots and lots of fireworks). I saw one of the seven wonders of the world, and my tastebuds adapted (somewhat) to the spicy curries and kormas of India.

It wasn't all smiles however. As always, trips have their rough patches and no country is perfect. It was stressful at times and I found it particularly challenging to travel with a group for such a long time. I'm used to taking trip with 1 or 2 other people, so it was difficult to adjust to travelling with 5 other people at all times. I've found myself often seeking out solitude. The initial comfort from travelling with new and old friends faded after spending several days in the same van for hours at a time. Time alone with my own thoughts became more sought after and appreciated. But its made me adjust to a new way of travelling, and really it was the first time in a while where I wasn't the one calling the shots.

India brought out another feeling I had never quite experienced before. Travelling around the northern parts of the country where women are treated differently than in the more modern Mumbai was a shock. I had never been more aware of my gender or made to feel as uncomfortable as I was for just being female. Stares from men stemmed from pure curiosity all the way to perverse, but it felt like mostly of the latter. We've had numerous pictures taken or attempted to be taken of us, and have been followed from various distances on several occasions. It brought up an anger in me that I didn't know I could feel. I was upset for myself and also for all societies that allow this type of behavior. We come from a country where looking at someone for longer than a couple seconds is considered rude. Yet us 5 girls stood in the Jaipur Observatory only to be the objects others were observing. Kathryn reversed the roles and snapped a picture of a dozen men sitting and standing in a line staring directly at us with no attempt to be discreet. We wore scarves and capri pants to maintain as much modesty as we could in the heat, but it didn't matter. It felt as if they could see right through the clothes on our backs.

As any country does, India has its pros and cons. What it does well and what it fails at. My most favourite place in India is still Mumbai, where I began and will end this leg of the trip. As we were driving to the movie set this afternoon, I realized why this city was like no other I have been too. We were on our way to see a Bollywood film being shot while passing dilapidated buildings, slums, shiny business centres, samosa stands on the corners, bustling train stations, and busy retail stores. Because unlike the definite grittiness of New York versus the perceived shine of Hollywood and L.A., or the southern hospitality of the lower United States, it all exists together in Mumbai. The city of 18 million people doesn't try to define its areas or its identity as a whole. It is a mix of everything and just is what it is. While the east may have a rivalry with the west, and the Bollywood stars tend to live on Pali Hill where the real estate is steep and faces the water, everything and everyone in Mumbai seems to weave its way into one solid fabric. It is a fabric that I like very much.