In India, nothing goes to waste
"Remove the Curtain of your Heart and see the Beloved sitting inside yourself. Close your Ears to the Outside and hear the Cosmic Sound going on within you."
Mira, poet-saint of Rajasthan
The shooting of "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 2" came to an end, the sequel to the comedy-drama about a motley group of English seniors who find a home - away from home - in a dilapidated hotel in Rajasthan. "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" was directed by John Madden (of "Shakespeare in Love" fame) and featured an ensemble cast led by Academy Award winners Judi Dench and Maggie Smith. The screenplay by Ol Parker was an adaptation of Deborah Moggach's novel, "These Foolish Things" (2004). This is the latest in a long list of books set in India, which may prompt some to wonder what makes this South Asian nation a great literary setting.
"In its small way, it was a miracle. With their blushing cheeks and pink lips, the elderly couple looked quite young again."
Moggach, who lived in Pakistan for many years, didn't pen a story that can be compared to "Heat and Dust". It also had no semblance to tales set during the British Empire, which E.M. Forster and Rudyard Kipling found some great material for their novels and short stories. "These Foolish Things" was about elderly citizens who felt like they were out of place in the fast-paced world of England.
Evelyn Greenslade lived with her husband in Sussex, but after his death, moved to Leaside, a huge Edwardian building whom she shared with other seniors (unable to take care of themselves). She didn't like living with either of her two grown-up children, both of whom have their own lives to live. Being docile and dreamy, she seemed contented until she heard of the news of Leaside closing down. Then she thought about the world beyond. Dorothy Miller, on the other hand, once worked for the BBC. She had a charming life, but her world came crashing down upon retirement. No one was interested in her anymore, she thought, except Adam Ainslie, one of her protégés. He kept in touch with her, but out of gratitude. Muriel Donnelly lived all her life in Peckham, but recent events forced her to seek a safer place. She had good memories of her hometown, but saw her loved ones and friends replaced by immigrants, who turned the district into a seedy area.
Norman Purse would be the one that would bring these old ladies together. He lived with Pauline, his daughter, and Ravi, his Indian-born husband who was more British than Indian. His son-in-law didn't like his presence, his daily routine irritating him. (Norman was a vigorous fellow during his younger days, trying to recapture that form that saw women fall for him.) Then Ravi met Sonny, his cousin who was on a business trip in the continent. The two weren't close, but in a moment of frustration, Ravi told Sonny all about Norman. Then an idea came about, of a certain place in Rajasthan that could be converted into a (second) home for seniors. It was reminiscent of old India, Sonny claimed, when it was part of the British Empire. This charming aspect didn't lure Evelyn, Dorothy, Muriel, and Norman, though.
Reservation and trepidation vanished when the group met Douglas and Jean Anislie, Adam's parents, who were seasoned travelers. They were loving every moment in India, and as the four noticed, the old structures in the northern region, the heat, and the locals reinvigorated them. There was a fairy tale aspect to it, seen in the works of other authors who have set their stories in India. Their sense of reality may have been distorted a bit, but it was a good thing. They were in the sunset of their lives.
