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Monsoon Wedding Essay

1181 Words5 Pages

Over the past century, India has been experiencing a transition from an ancient, traditional culture to a modern, westernized one. With this shift, many Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) struggle to create a balance between what they have been taught and what they are learning through globalization. In the film Monsoon Wedding, directed by Mira Nair, an Indian family in New Delhi is a perfect model for a globalized India and the tensions it brings to family life. While the family lives all around the world, those who reside in westernized countries seem to embrace the contemporary culture, some more fully than others. Despite the many small conflicts throughout the movie, the main one “is between modernity and tradition” as noted in an essay on Globalization in Monsoon Wedding (Sharpe 61). However, the whole family is able to reunite with each other and their culture in India as each character begins a journey back to tradition when they return for an arranged marriage for Lilet’s daughter Aditi. Through the return to Indian tradition, the Non-Resident Indians in Monsoon Wedding are able to overcome their globalization and reconnect to their family. With music serving as an integral part of cultural expression for Indian families, it is no surprise that …show more content…

Throughout the film, Rahul, Aditi, Hermant, and Lilet embark on journeys, distinct to their own beliefs and experiences to reconnect with their family. Whether through dancing, arranged marriages, or protection of family, “the film presents a contemporary India” and the everyday struggles families face to keep tradition alive (Karenta 117). Despite the variance, each character is able to realize that tradition is what allows their family to be the

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