'Mee Marathi', got it?

Being something but not looking the part has been bothering me for the longest time now. I like to believe that the world is becoming a place where people are not judged by appearances but that’s not what I’m talking about.

In a country of 28 states, seven union territories, 216 languages and some thousand dialects, we can’t really blame anyone for having stereotypical notions. Besides, in a salad bowl of a city that we live in, I am expected to have certain traits of a Maharashtrian because, well, I am one.

Grouse number one against me is that I don’t “look” Maharashtrian according to most
Maharashtrians I know. I am told it’s both the features and the style of dressing. I agree I’ve hardly been able to sport a crescent moon bindi and green and gold bangles, but my features?

While some Bongs never ask before talking to me in their language, my “tanned” or “dusky” (hip words for dark) skin tone makes me a sibling of “southies”. My concerned extended family, while they disapprove of my “deviant” traits, would agree that bong or southie is better than being called Japanese in Switzerland which happened six years ago.

Although I speak fluent Marathi and I love my mother tongue, my dear Marathi brothers and sisters have refused to continue a conversation in Marathi with me because they feel that my English has no Marathi influence. I ae-gree that I hau nevher sade phaeew thirr-ty in my life (translation: I agree that I have never said five thirty in my life) — maybe that’s what upsets them. Also, I abstain from colloquialisms like “remove my photo” which is Maharashtrian for take my photograph or “put the fan” for switch the fan on.
But I don’t think these are reason to label me un-Marathi.

But all those Maharashtrians who have assumed that I am not one, must at least hear me speak the language first to determine the level of my Marathi-ness. Saying that I am the biggest fan of PL Deshpande may perhaps not suffice, but the fact that my parents are cross with each other for supporting different contestants on a talent show on Zee Marathi should.

So, I haven’t gone out of my way to look like a Maharashtrian and that’s probably why I am mistaken for a Bengali or South Indian who doesn’t speak English like Maharashtrians. But with a name like mine, I couldn’t have possibly belonged to any other part of the world, could I?