#HappyInIndia: Bindi, Santa Banta, Sunny Leone, Make Us Happy

This week, we’re looking at things that make us #HappyInIndia.

Happy feet! 

India turns 68 in two days. We at The Quint have been listing out things that make us #HappyInIndia.

Here are 14 more reasons that makes us #HappyInIndia.

Read on.

#29 We’ve Got MOM

Earlier we would proudly proclaim Hamare paas ma hain! But now we rejoice in saying Hamare paas MOM (Mars Orbiter Mission) hai! Believe it or not, the Hollywood blockbuster Gravity cost more than our Mars mission. Now that’s paisa wasool!

#30 Maa Ka Pyaar!

Chanda Hai Tu, Mera Suraj Hai Tu...

No matter what he does, where he goes, who he meets, he will always be Mama’s Boy. The Great Indian Mother-Son Saga is legendary, be it in reel life, or real life.

#31 Item! 

Ban beef, ban porn, ban erotic books, but don’t you dare put your filters on item numbers. Item numbers are to Indian cinema what butter is to bread. From Munni Badnam Hui to Mera Naam Mary Hai, we know how to make our booties shake.

#32 Yeh Bullet Meri Jaan!

“Built Like a Gun, Goes like a Bullet” – Royal Enfield’s slogan has remained unchanged for close to a century. The Bullet is now a cult. Your milkman, the young army officer, even Jai and Veeru in Sholay... they all ride a Bullet.

#33 Rimjhim Rimjhim

Tip-tip barsaa paani, paani ne aag lagaayi/ Aag lagi dil mein toh dil ko teri yaad aayi. Say ‘Rain’ and Bollywood brings on Raveena Tandon dancing in a yellow sari, or Sridevi dancing in a white one.

But rains mean a lot more for us all - long drives, pakoras and chai, water-logging, traffic jams, squelchy wet shoes and bunking work.

#34 ‘Aam’ Aadmi

From the over-priced, over-rated Alphonso, to the Chausa, Safeda, Dussehri, Totapari, Langda - we are fanatical about our Aam! Even Pakistan PM Nawaz Shariff found it apt to gift a crate of mangoes to Narendra Modi.

But, why is India so crazy about mangoes? Arre bhai, aam khao, gutlio se kya matlab?

#35 Oye, Cheers!!

 
A drink is never a drink until it comes in Patiala proportions. France may have given the world champagne, but it is us Indians have shown how to down a real drink. The Patiala Peg must be featured on peg measures across the world!

#36 Ha Ha Ha Hilarious

An Englishman and Santa are inside a toilet. Englishman: Good evening, how do u do? Santa: Good evening, we open the zip and do!

Two imaginary turban-clad sardars, Santa and Banta have been lifting Indian spirits since the beginning of time.

#37 Life’s a Beach

Who needs to go skinny-dipping in Thailand, Los Angeles, and Hawai when we’ve got Goa. Just one thing – what happens in Goa, remains in Goa.

#38 Kahani Har Ghar Ki

Kyunki kahani mein kuch aur K hai…

Saas-bahu encounters and larger than life dramas – the magic of mummyjis weaved by Ekta Kapoor and Balaji Telefilms worked wonders with the Indian middle-class. And boy did they take over our daily lives – there is a Tulsi, Kusum and Komolika breathing in each household.

#39 Sunny Side Up!

Baby Doll — the no-stopping ascent of a porn star to the status of Bollywood’s uncontested sex goddess is nothing short of stunning. When porn was blocked on the Net, ‘searches’ for Sunny Leone rose by massive 2050 percent! 

#40 Utsav! 

Diwali, Holi, Eid, Rakhi, Onam, Durga Puja, Christmas - you name it and we celebrate it! These festivals also give India the dubious distinction of being the country with most number of government holidays!

#41 Guest of Honour

Playing a perfect host is a part of bharatiya sanskriti. While Aamir Khan preaches Atithi Devo Bhava (Guest is God!) our Prime Minister practices it - rewind to Modi breaking all protocol and going to pick up President Obama from the airport.

Having a bad day? Just arrive unannounced to someone’s doorstep for some free food and splendid Indian hospitality.

#42 Bindi

Even Madonna wore one – a tiny, often red dot on the forehead has become the mark of the quintessential Indian beauty.

And don’t get us started on the literary and pop-culture significance of the mathe ki bindiya!

Graphics done by Lijumol Joseph and Aaqib Raza Khan.