[sustran] Re: Cycle, Cycling Culture and Bollywood

[alok.priyanka at gmail.com]

Navdeep,

Thoroughly enjoyed your post with a twist.

Apart from songs there are many movies in the 60s or 70s where lead characters were portrayed to own a bicycle. Not anymore, sir. Is that why we call that a golden era?

Talking of aspirational advertising, recently saw the attached at Delhi Metro Golf Course Station.

I wonder why metro guys even allowed such an ad to be put in which clearly pitches their own services in bad light.

Cheers
Alok
Sent on my BlackBerry® from Vodafone

-----Original Message-----
From: Rutul Joshi <joshirutul at yahoo.co.in>
Sender: sustran-discuss-bounces+alok.priyanka=gmail.com at list.jca.apc.org
Date: Mon, 25 Jul 2011 17:09:10 
To: Asija, Navdeep<navdeep.asija at gmail.com>; sustran-discuss at list.jca.apc.org<sustran-discuss at list.jca.apc.org>
Reply-To: Rutul Joshi <joshirutul at yahoo.co.in>
Subject: [sustran] Re: Cycle, Cycling Culture and Bollywood

Hi Navdeep and others, 


This is a great compilation for more than one reason. It is an interesting sociological material to understand cycling culture in India. Just adding some observations...


- Majority of the movies cited here are from 50s and 60s where it was OK for the protagonist to be a regular cyclist. There is a clear distinction in later decades. The on-screen cycling appear more as a recreational and occasional activity but not really as a full-time, regular activity where one cycles to work. It is rare to see a mainstream Hindi language film (Bollywood!) hero or heroin to use a cycle on a daily basis. All though I am not a big fan of such movies but these movies are a big cultural import, so the concerns are even more grave. These films dubbed in to many Asian and African languages. These movies manufacture imaginations and imageries, associations and preferences. 


- Almost all movie celebrities are into advertising (and selling) some or the other kind of automobiles. The Banks advertise how buying a car is a logical transition from owning motorized 2 wheeler. Some of the eco-conscious celebrities are not yet vocal ambassadors of cycling. However, I have heard that some friends in this forum has made successful attempts to bring some celebrities to the cycling rallies. 


- Even the minority of (part-time or full-time) urban middle-class cyclists (who are the new cycling group) are not really interested in including the poor people in their campaigns. In Ahmedabad, there is a cycling group run by the doctors of the city who organise cycling events but it is a closed group! Generally, no one likes to include the poor in anything unless something is being claimed in their name. 


- It is very rare to find a cyclist amongst the policy makers, bureaucrats, consultants who are supposed to fund or plan cycling related infrastructure. Well, being a regular cyclist is not a qualification here but even an occasional cyclist would know 'what not to do'! 


The cycling efforts in India are massively legging behind in terms of social marketing and advocacy. There are just a few national organizations who work around urban issues and they still don't really recognize 'transport' as a social or political issue. Where as the international organizations loose their credibility at the local level when they are parachuting from a city to city (if not from cause to cause!) selling their ideas instead of investing in a long-term advocacy of policy change. 

Please excuse my cynicism (if you find any ;)) but I am still naively hopeful about future of cycling in India. People like Navdeep gives us a hope of changing things bottom-up and building grass-root level policy changes. 


regards,
Rutul










________________________________
From: "Asija, Navdeep" <navdeep.asija at gmail.com>
To: 
Sent: Sunday, 24 July 2011 12:11 AM
Subject: [sustran] Cycle, Cycling Culture and Bollywood

This is unusual post of mine, but I hope u will like it.  As we all know,
unholistic planning and policies
 has just not influenced and reduced the
bicycle usage and cycling culture across the country but also
forced Bollywood to chance their onscreen mode of transportation.  Instead
of happy riders of yesteryear, now a large proportion of the road crash
victims in India are pedestrians and cyclists.

In Punjab against per 100 people 12 people own bicycle and only 2 people
owns. Saddest part is cycle ownership is there but not ridership due the
reason we all know very well. Facilitation and early licensing to one car
user going to put life of 12 cycle user and many pedestrian at risk and
government claim it as achievement.

Anyways, I made this collection of bollywood songs, being picturised or
written on theme “Cycle and Cycling”. They are the people with” no voice”
and have almost no influence over the policy makers road construction
agencies and we have to be the voice of those.  See, in this
 era of
transition for both transport planner and Bollywood, if we can do something
to revive the cycling culture on our roads and Bollywood.

So, enjoy listening and this collection might help to remind our policy
makers to think about the need of those who matters most to our society;

*Ek din Lahore ki Thandi Sadak Par** (Sagaayi) (1951)*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-Bzb0POwdo


*Aaya Re Aaya Re Baajiwala- Toofan Aur Diya (1956)*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDAqROvDuko


*Suno Re Bhaiyya Ham Laaye Hain ek Khabar Mastaani- Paighaam-(1959)*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaWhcgjUx2U


*Babu Bol Kaisa Roka –Pyasa Panchi (1960)*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xnGOEZ9-1M


*Mere Peeche Ek Diwana - Nazrana (1961)*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAA4Lro2aBU


*Akela Hoon Main- Baat Ek Raat Ki (1962)*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmPIKX6m1vg


*Pukarta Chala Hoo Mein- Mere Sanam (1965)*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nio1DdtqoAI


*Main Chali Main Chali - Saira Banu – Padosan (1968)*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szFxM9KBNMA


*Pyase Panchi Neel Gagan Mein Geet Man Ke Gaye - Pyasa Panchi (1960)*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePjlDMdwUiQ


*Cycle Pe Haseenon Ki Toli- Amaanat – (1977)*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=manTkkfM6Tg


*Ladki Cycle wali oye ladki- Pati Patni aur Woh (1978)*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW2uL8xjhxs


*Bhawre Ne Khilaya Phool- Prem Rog (1982)*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W96gZjLLgig


*Chandi Ki Cycle Sone Ki Seat Aao Chalein Darling –Bhabhi (1991)*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixS-nK8cmbw


*Iss Jahan Ki Nahi Hai Tumhari Aankhein - King Uncle (1993)*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMnv_2u7v20


*Cycle by Gurdass Mann (Punjabi-2007)*

http://www.saavn.com/popup/psong-u159YznY.html




*Cycle Rickshaw*

*
*

*Chori Chori dil ka lagana buri baat hai - Bada Bhai (1957)*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh5i47d5sWg


*Main Hoon Ghoda Ye hai Gaadi - Kunwara Baap (1974)*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LrQneXl07Y



Regards,


Navdeep
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