Fans and obessions

#BTS #cricket

When I was in college in Kerala and living in the college hostel, I was a bored soul half the time despite having 4-5 room mates on rotation every term and some 200 inmates in all. And then I discovered cricket. Though my brother and uncle were fervent cricket fans, I had no idea about the game. It was just not a girlie thing, my uncle said dismissively, and there was no TV at  home then to watch and develop an interest. My father was spartan in his habits to the point of being a good Communist though he wasn't one. He would say, "Look at Kochukunju (our manservant), does he have a TV? We should always look at people less fortunate than us."

But in the hostel, some of the girls came from TV-owning households and watched cricket. We were allowed to watch Chitrageetam (Malayalam movie songs) and Chitrahaar (Hindi songs) at night apart from the weekend movies. And then came Reliance World Cup 1987. Most girls would rush to the TV room after college and the evening tea and snack. I reluctantly joined some friends though their excited cries over fours and sixes and ducks didnt make sense to me.

So I got a sporting Sunita T to explain what it was all about. She drew stumps on a piece of paper and explained the game, and asked me questions at the end of the session. I went to my room a little wiser about cricket. By the time the finals came I  developed a keen interest in the game and the players. I decided I liked all the handsome cricketers especially the Pak ones. I chose Imran Khan as my favourite. And I started buying Sportstar and devouring all the sports magazines I could get my hand on. I cut pictures of cricketers from the glossy magazines. I started listening to cricket commentaries on radio. My uncle saw my interest and got me a radio.

I dont know till when my craze continued but I think it was at its peak at Assumption. The good thing was that it gave me enough knowledge about cricket to edit cricket reports while I was a magazine subeditor. Not just cricket, the boss would direct other sports stories also to me most times.

I remember this as I tell V it is okay for Mira to be crazy about BTS, the Korean pop group most girls are crazy about these days. It is a passing phase, I console him. The COVID lockdown and excessive boredom had led her to the group guided by already BTS-crazy friends. Like Pentecosts persuading unsuspecting and wavering people to join their faith and discover JC and paradise, the friends introduced her to Dynamite and other songs (I cant remember the names though they all sound familiar when she plays them loud). She says it helped her discover herself - the boy singers told the fans to love themselves. In a way, they are like the evangelicals and motivational speakers. 

She drew sketches of her favourite singer Jimin and stuck them on the walls. She searched for BTS merchandise and army bombs online, learnt to speak and write a little Korean, began patronising Korean restaurants in malls, started watching K drama on Netflix and recently, visited the South Korea pavilion at Global Village fair, something she had never done in all our annual visits to GV.  Next she wants to tour SK or even study there, though she has read about racism being rampant. (To avoid racial discrimination, one has to live in one's own country, I tell her - but then we have caste and colour discrimination at home too.)

I wrote a column inspired by her craze as opposed to Ash's for EDM and Trance, music genres popular with boys. I quoted her friends on her request though none were pleased with the critical appreciation and threatened that the BTS army would hate me and make my life hell 😋

As long as her new-found love keeps her happy and busy - without upsetting studies - I am fine with it. I tell her some day she will look back on her obsession and laugh about it. She says that is possible as the group will disband when it is time for their mandatory military conscription.

p.s. I like Imran Khan more now  - he is more lovable as a sober and suave PM than he was as a playboy cricketer. Who knows, maybe we will have a BTS member as future SK leader.