Bad Boll 2002

AG: Identitätsbildung zwischen den Kulturen

Cast:

Married couple 1: Arun und Betty
Married couple 2: Ishan und Pamela
Daughter Sushmita from married couple 1:
German friend: Monika

Situation: Visit to married couple 1. The men are sitting separate from the women and are talking to each other.

Arun: Hi Mr Hegele, how are you?
Ishan: Thank you, very fine, and you?
Arun: Me, I am also fine! My family and me, we had been in the USA for the last six months; I had become a friend of Mr. Bush...
Ishan: Did you like it in America? I think it's an interesting country, I like the human beings there.
Arun: Well, they don't have culture and tradition and of course they are not so intellectual.
Ishan: You should not generalise... Other question, what is your daughter doing?
Arun: She is fine, my daughter is such a great person and so good in school –
(Arun to Sushmita): Come here! Show Mr. Hegele your marks!
Sushmita shows her marks to the audience.

Betty: How are you?
Pamela: I am fine!
Betty: Do you know our daughter? She is so pretty. You must have seen her!
Pamela: Really?
Betty(crys): SUSHMITA!!! Come to us.
Sushmita appears.

Betty: Just look at her! Isn´t she jewel? Could it be different? Finally she is my daughter. Did you know? She will marry next month.
Pamela: Really? I am glad of it.
Monika: Ähm...MY daughter will...
Betty: Monika, please. We are talking to each other.
Monika: But...
Pamela: You can´t understand.
Betty: It will be a doctor. They will be such a great couple. And he is sooooo rich.
Pamela: Wonderful!
Betty: Sushmita is so intelligent and so talented. She dances like a goddess. Sushmita, dance for us. Show us, what you have learned.!
Sushmita dances and the audience clap their hands to the rhythm.

Arun: Look how good she is! I am so proud of her. What's going up with your daughter?
Ishan: Well, she is also not bad in school but ok she has not always the best marks. But in my opinion marks should not be the most important aspect of school, you are learning for your life and for yourself.
Arun: Such a rubbish! I'd never heard anything like that!
Ishan: No, no, believe me, when you're a teenager it is very important, too that you can enjoy your life, make sports, meet your friends and also go to disco! Has your daughter any other hobbies, too except learning for school?
Arun: Of course, what a question! You forget we're a traditional Indian family! She is singing...
Sushmita sings a song.

Betty: It´s fantastic.
Pamela: I agree with you.
Betty: Imagine, she can do „Puja“!
Pamela: Really? It´s enviable.
Betty: Suuushmitaaaa! Do „Puja“ for our guests, please.
Sushmita appears with a tray and a candle on it. She executes the ritual and „blesses“ her parents and the guests which are impressed.

Arun: Wonderful! I am soooo proud of my daughter!
Sushmita (angry): I lose all liking for being your showpiece! I WILL GO TO BAD BOLL, NOW!!!

by Pamela Baijal und Betty Cherian