Different places are characterized by different languages and it amuses me very much to when I notice these differences when it pertains to a single language. For example, English is spoken differently at different places around the world. Similarly, in India, the way hindi is spoken in the north will be very distinct from that in the west. Here I am not only referring to the accent but the usage of words also. Different words are spoken in the same context. So the shades of language may vary from one place to another.
I had heard of the so-called Mumbaiya hindi only in the bollywood flicks. Remember the songs like ‘Oye, kya bolti tu’ from the movie Gulam, or ‘Bole to’ from Munnabhai MBBS? However, now I come across this quite often. This is one of the repercussions of staying in Mumbai. This also reminds me of a funny instance a couple of days back which forced me to burst into peals of laughter. There is this fruit vendor who brings fruits in our building. So I happened to ask him whether he has any apples. He made a long face and replied quite innocently that “Apple to khallas ho gaye hain”. Personification of Apples was acceptable but the usage of the word “khallas” was quite amusing. To my knowledge, the word khallas could only be associated with murder. Even the new people I am meeting who are born and brought up in Mumbai have a different way of saying things. And words and expressions, which we northies might find rude, are considered normal here. No big deal for them. Though I am quite easily influenced, right now I am fighting with keeping my language what it is and not pick up the mumbaiya bhasha. Only time will tell!
July 2nd, 2007 at 1:20 pm
in india, language changes every 100km or less. you could be slapped for a word that you used on daily basis back in ur hometown. i wonder what is the secret for binding all these indians together. in blore, these days, i heard that people are trying to block non kannada movies here. if you speak kannada the auto guys are much tolerable. every community is busy making their presence felt in the society by forming associations and coming up with cultural programs. in this run for showing their community presence and dominance, the locals are finding themselves lost in the crowd of metro locals. the locals are finding difficult to make their living with the cost of living touching the sky. development comes with a cost. the garden city is becoming concrete jungles giving way to pollution and claustrophobia. the infrastructure is not so good. but its open and not crowded since its double the size of mumbai. the locals find diffficult to cope with the high cost of living.
it wont be wrong or lie to say that its a mini kerala. there are more malus than anyother foreing community here. they are everywhere like in dubai. no pun, but my fiancee is also a keralite. its so much now deep in our day to day life that soon it will be also the commercial capital of kerala.