When I first performed at the contest we were cautioned by the organizers not to share although the footage would be likely kept by them and shared with the filmmakers (as I learned from a few other following events this company did to promote upcoming films).
This evening I went to town to find a Saraswati statue and nearby around the same timethere was an Indian band I was familar playing some experimental music and in the sequence of songs was a Sufi and their rendition of Aigiri Nandini. The band had been playing for the past couple of weekends but very few people turned up due to the odd location and that there are a very lesser known band.
There was a lady behind me who kept pestering me to go and dance and after a few moments of mock hesitation , "Are you sure? I will do it in front of the stage. Yes. There. In front of everyone." With wide eyed amazement she and all the audience watched as...
I performed the whole Deepika Padukone choreo as in the above video and the audience loved it. Most were either not knowing or did not want to follow the Padmavaat saga because of what transpired previously, but I assured them as a creative work there was nothing wrong to it and ranks very highly as a medieval-fantasy film that I rate similar to Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones.
And uhh, I was dressed up like cosplaying the Rajput king from the movie (with a new golden kurtha my dear colleague and friend brought me from Chennai, across the ocean!) and I'm pretty sure no Rajput king performs ghoomar.
They got the joke immediately, and everyone liked the performance, some even joined in.
After the show I discussed about visiting India (some of them just arrived from India), Hinduism, my introduction to it through dance and music, and some shared they were comforted when I stood up and told them Aigiri Nandini was my favorite devotional song - they were concerned not knowing if the audience was into such songs.
Very soon we had a multi-cultural discussion where knowledge of various dance forms from Turkey, Arabian songs and mysticism were shared; I didn't realize I was familiar with quite a bit of Arabian culture and history based on past interests and it is the first time in my life I have presented these topics.
Then it was time to part ways, most of the band were packing up after their final show and the audience had dissolved, leaving me alone with the band members. I told them I'll be buying a Saraswati idol, and immediately it started raining, for just a few minutes like it was a message just for me.
We'll meet up again next week at a community meditation event - I was asked what type of songs I'd like to hear, and because it's a meditation event, something calm and spiritual would certainly please everyone, given the concert will be after 1-2 hours of meditation.
As for Maa Sarasvati... It took some looking to find an idol of her, the shop arrangement had changed since I got the Durga Mashishasura Mardini. The one I picked that had the 'sign' of acceptance, that feeling of gentle warmth and spiritual connection when I look at it, was all the way in the back of the shelf. It's twice the size of the Masishasura I bought previously and the cashier started a long conversation with me not believing I am Hindu and that I actually pray to Chinese gods. I said no... and I just finished a dance performance nearby and have earlier in the week commemorated Basant Panchami in my own way... used wisdom and knowledge to change perceptions and give harmony to all the warring factions in my workplace and ease the hearts of people who I performed for just now...
And as I wait for dinner to be delivered I shall dedicate tomorrow to studying and writing a couple of notes to the musicians just now who made it all possible playing Aigiri Nandini specially for me.
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I just reached home and my mom asked for the first time about Hindu things so I introduced her to Durga and Saraswati. Where previously there was hesitance or signs of not accepting, peoples' perceptions have shifted gradually to be positive.
