Shake It Like Shammi

“Pal mein guzar jaaye, pal mein theher jaye,
Hai yeh badi silly silly feeling
Yippee aaj hum hippie
Naachenge, koodenge, chou lenge ceiling
Lakh main rokoon
Ho mane na kamariya nikammi
Beat baje toh
I gotta Shake It Like Shammi” - Shake it Like Shammi, Hasse Toh Phassi

Over the easter weekend, I saw the Bollywood movie: Hasse toh Phassi (rough translation: “If she smiles, she’s yours”) which is a stupid phrase and so is the song above. However, the song is my earworm and I wake up every morning with: “I gotta Shake It Like Shammi”.

So, history lesson to people unfamiliar with Shammi Kapoor who was this Bollywood actor in the 60s with iconic dance moves and from what I know made popular by the song: “Aaja raja main hun pyaar tera” (rough translation: “Come on over, I am your lover”). For some reason, I kept thinking about this actor who died 10 years before the movie came out with the song: “I gotta Shake It Like Shammi”. I think about his legacy. He was the cream of the crowd. If the Bollywood had Kardashians, then the Kapoor family are it. They have ruled over the Indian cinema for the last 100+ years. Even today, the most popular actors in Bollywood are Kareena Kapoor Khan and Ranbir Kapoor.

Why I am writing about the Kapoor family? I really am not but I am going to get to the point eventually. The Kapoor clan is privileged that they have a path set out for becoming successful actors. They are trained for the profession from a really young age. They can fail again and again without consequences that another might face. However, we (the public) admire and adore them nonetheless. My point is, we will always have the Kapoors of the world. Whether it be Starbucks which will probably soon exist in Mt Everest Base Camp (joke), or Chanel with N°5 so iconic that you recognise it from a mile, and McDonalds that is oddly situated even in historic Madrid.

The world is run by big corporations which is a complicated word with one simple meaning: someone(s) with money making more money because the rest of the world accept what they create as standards. We forget about all the other people who are trying to compete against these standards. One might ask: why would I care? In the world we live in right now, a world that is scared to leave smallest perimeter of a 400sq foot apartment, does one really need to ask this question? I question: what will survive when all of this is over and more importantly, what would I like in the world to survive.

Is there a need for more Nespresso machines and capsules in the world? No.

Is there a need for more Starbucks or independent coffee shops? Independent coffee shops, of course.

Do we need low quality precooked meals or more local produce? Local produce.

Now, I am a hypocrite here. Since I have been back to HK, I have had 2 starbucks coffees, ordered countless meals to my doorstep and can’t wait to get my stuff out of storage to say hello to Jamie (my Nespresso coffee maker). I write this so that I can be honest of who I am and what I am doing. Right now more than ever in living history, how we spend our money is going to make the biggest difference.

This is a phrase I have often heard: you shape the world with what you consume. That has never been truer before. Be it pizza, media, TV shows, books or entertainment of any type. We will have more in the world of whatever you give your attention to now. Pay attention to what you give attention to (and side note: really stop scrolling through instagram stories <insert eyeroll emoji here>).

If there was ever a time to become a Patreon supporter for a creator you admire, it is now. The Kapoors of the world will come out of the crisis unscathed. If there was ever a time to shop local, or support independent producers or make a donation to your favourite donut shop: that time is now. This sounds too much like preaching but it isn’t for others who read it. It is a mere reminder to my future self to be more mindful.

What kind of world do I want to live in?

If I feel miserable or decide to go on a shopping spree, I will try and find products or services that help those businesses stay afloat that I want in the world. Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Hulu and others can fight it out. I have decided to not watch TV shows or movies online until this is over. Instead, I want to give my attention to the writers who spend years single handedly creating worlds I could immerse myself in. Instead of any big coffee conglomerate, I will try and get my coffee from the more local coffee shops. I want them to exist.

Alone, I cannot make a better world but, I can find the right losing battle to fight.

“It was important, Dumbledore said, to fight, and fight again, and keep fighting, for only then could evil be kept at bay, though never quite eradicated. . . .”

- Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling