Keralites outside Kerala and Generally other non Keralites view Mundu as country , boorish and uncivilised .When you travel through the length , breadth and width of Kerala you can see the ubiquitious nature of Mundu and understand how it was / is and will be an integral part of Kerala culture as long as all the Keralites remain in Kerala and keep wearning their Mundu . Samples below.
From an Old Prem Nazir Movie
From an Ayurvedic Massage centre
From a Boat Race
From a Tea Stall in the Morning
Nariyal Chutney was very happy when Kerala Government came with this scheme of Mundu on Saturdays . Not Because they came with the innovative Scheme to save the Khadi Industry but because VS & team asked the male government employees to wear Mundu on Saturdays. This is a nice thing which is certianly better than asking Microsoft to log out of Kerala and Cola Companies to flee from the state.
The scheme was launched one week back handed over the first Mundu along with other hand loom clothes to Anju Bobby George .We can't blame Anju , as all nice Kearlites will do she would have happily obliged to a request from state government .Nariyal Chutney can't wait to see Anju running through tracks for long jump wearing a Mundu . This is what we call world wide branding and surely this should be the idea of some wily old foxy mind in the LDF government with white beard.Imagine the world wide Publicity that Mundu will be getting when Anju is running through the Long Jump track wearing a Mundu in the next Olympics or with in India when she uses it for next national games. Hmmmm...
Whoever thought about World wide branding for Mundu has certianly forgotten about the branding inside the Kerala State. It is really bad that Keralites are responding to this initiative in the Kerala way . DNA reports from Mumbai that government employees are demanding a Mundu Allowance to wear Mundu on Saturdays. Who else will demand an allowance for wearing the traditional dress ?What bothers Nariyal Chutney now is that even the people who were wearing Mundu earlier may stop wearing Mundu and may demand Mundu allowance ?.This is a Bery Bery Bery Bery BAD situation that arises when people become concious about their rights.
Good LDF is ruling Kerala these days . If UDF was ruling and had come with a directive like this , Nariyal Chutney is sure that communists would have organised an All Kerala Bandh and Hartal demanding a Mundu allowance.
Finally , I think this lady (Some People in Go Fug Yourself Blog call her Parminder Nagra) looks gorgeous in what seems like a British version of Lungi (It is a cousin of Mundu).
It would have been nice is the communist with the white beard had used this lady as the brand ambassador.International - It is the Way to Go Mundu and Kerala! .
Posts
11 comments:
Interesting, way to go.
It would be far more effective if LDF decided to make all their banners out of handloom cloth. Though not the ideal use of it I'm pretty sure it would keep handloom industry pretty busy for a long long time
you said it ... 3 cheers to the Mundu ! Can't wait to make a trip 2 Kerala, wear a Mundu, and go ride a bus from Kozhikode to Palakkad :-)
and what u pointed out ... " non Keralites view Mundu as country , boorish and uncivilised " ... I have had so many of my friends show their ignorance about the Mundu, and about Kerala in general !
Btw Mundu IS a fashion accesory among the girls for quite a long time now. Only thing is that they stylishly call it a "wrap around".
I also heard that silk lungis are supposed to be the official lounge wear in western countries.
@ Kuttan :Ya , This seems to be more practical , let there be some use with all those strikes and banners in Kerala.
@Taks:U r right . Think the country feeling also comes from this ignorance.
@Umesh : Machambi, As you wrote in one of your earlier comments the most enjoyable thing for a Keralite is alway to walk in the Mundu Madakkikuthi style . Wish I can do it for one more time through M G Road in Kochi.Anyway thanks for your tips on the Business Opportunity in Mundu abroad :).
@Kuttan: ROFL that was a good one indeed!!!
NC: Slightly OT. I think men in white mundu look really good. For my brothers wedding, the entire male clan wore mundus and nowadays it is sort of become a practice in my extended family to wear mundu during functions etc.
@ Silverine: I agree with you cent percent and Mundu iss my favoritest dress . Generally in all Xian weddings Mundu is the offiial dress and it somehow is very comfortable to wear :). than a trouser.May be what we need is somebody like Armani who made Safari Suit a Fashion statement throughout the world from an unknown dress in Italy.
The moment i reach kerala my trousers and jeans will be given for wash and i will drape myself in a mundu and enjoy the fresh air supply. Nothign like it. Its like coming out of jail.
OK OK MCR Double OKAY
Hehe :). What a load of mundu fanatics here.
Btw, "mundu" and "lungi" are the poor cousins of what our fashionistas now call the "sarong" :). Ramp models like Arjun Rampal, Aryan Vaid and fashion gurus like Prasad Bidapa can be seen in this branded form of the mundu on and off the ramp. Maybe we should patent the mundu so that it starts getting the credit it deserves. What say you?
Also to note here, that the "lungi" is probably crying for attention now - the trademark of mallu men it was once upon a time. In Saudi Arabia (where I stayed for a while), Mallu men dared to bring out a clothing revolution, by defying the Arab rule and strutting their stuff in lungis on the street... while the helpless Arab crowd watched agog: "Who are these daredevils"... they whispered amongst themselves. Alas, they could do nothing to prevent the outflow of the brave, dark, moustached, bachelor men in lungis, pouring out on the Saudi streets on a Friday (holiday) morning, scouring for their cup of tea, and masala dosa.
With the onset of the 21st century, the white and superior brother of the lungi - the mundu I mean, has emerged stronger, and uprooted poor lungi's status. Malayaless have adopted different flavours of the mundu (courtesy Mohanlal as Narasimham and other animal-inspired-characters), and mundu is finally on the way to becoming internationally recognized.
Let's hope that with all of LDF's heroic efforts, mundu succeeds in de-trouser-ing the whole of the western world (which would be the opposite of what Dileep did as Unni, to the villagers in Thilakkam).
Someone please write an ode now to Hawaii chappals... I'm brimming with Malayalee fervour.
*Chuckle* :D
Shikha , Such a long comment and full of Malayali Fevour . It is very hard to chnage Mundu into a fashion statement but is possible as you said :) and a post on Hawani Chappals is not a bad idea :)
Hawaii chappal is not mallu. its hawaiian. The mallu cheruppu can be called rubber chappal or bathroom/toilet chappal. :)
Post a Comment