I find that going to a popular movie in India can be somewhat tantamount to attending a midnight showing of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" in the U.S.
When I saw a film during a business trip to Mumbai (then Bombay), the audience was completely interactive. People hummed and whistled along with the music, they talked back to the actors and they even shouted some of the dialogue.
While what happened on screen seemed somewhat predictable (boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl), the campy, soap-opera premise did not detract from the beautiful sets and the beautiful people. In addition, being in Bollywood and partaking of its wares provided me with plenty of cultural lessons in the context of sheer entertainment.
I also learned a lot about life in fascinating India during this and subsequent trips.
Consider the following:
* Guests of honor are the first to be seated at the dinner table.
* Everyone eats with his or her right hand as the left hand is used for acts of personal hygiene and is therefore considered unclean.
* Although forks, knives and spoons are readily available, many Indians pick up their food with their hands.
* It is taboo to sample from someone else's plate.
* Opt for small portions of food; you will be offered more to eat later in the meal. Good manners dictate that you accept more food. If you cannot finish everything on your plate, don't worry as this will not cause offense.
* If you take a bite of a dish that's too spicy, don't reach for your water glass. Instead, take a bite of some fruit, a tomato or some yogurt to cut the burning sensation.
* Don't expect chit chat after dinner. Traditionally, Indians engage in extensive conversation before they eat and then leave immediately upon finishing their meal.
* Leather shoes are not allowed in Hindu temples.
* Exuberant bartering is a way of life in India, so expect the custom to ensue with everyone from shoe shiners to cab drivers.
Please note: This is by now means an exhaustive list on how to be culturally correct in India. If you have more tips, please add a comment with that information. Thank you!
AP Photo/Gurinder Osan
Comments
Guests are to be treated as Gods. So the practice of seating/feeding guests first.It may be taboo to eat from someones plate, but it makes eminent common sense. Infections are kept to the minimum by this practice. Using the left hand for peronal hygene and right for food also follows this logic. Eatig small portios is a way of saying thanks to mother earth. you dont wear shoes in your home, so why do you do so in God's. Hindus believe in "Ahimsa"(non injury). All forms of life are respected and killing animals for food is looked down upon. Putting threads on hands, bartering etc are for show to foreigners by charlatas lookig or extra tips
Actually no footwear is allowed inside a temple.
"It is taboo to sample from someone else's plate." <-- In every civilized society on Earth.
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