Had the famous Barbie doll been invented in India, especially in the Northern Parts like Punjab, she would be rocking today in Bollywood as Barbie Singh Dhillon. Whenever we think of Barbie, we imagine a young, blonde girl wearing bright skirts or light dresses or sometimes even a swimsuit as she strolls to the beach and attracts the gazes of everyone. However, we never imagine Barbie in a traditional Indian outfit, like wearing a lehenga or a saree and greeting us by saying Namaste. The time has come to be creative and invent our version of Barbie from the East that makes the world dance to the tunes of ‘Balle Balle.’
BARBIE PIND (Punjabi Name For Barbie Land)
An ideal Western Barbie Land revolves around the themes of dancing and singing to pop music while eating finger snacks and cheering glasses of wine. Nevertheless, Barbie Pind is the Indian version of Barbie Land, dotted with street vendors where Barbies gather to eat chaat and the local Indian savories. It would not be a surprise to see the Barbies lining up in front of Mehandi Designs to decorate their hands with the traditional colors of Mehandi (Henna), which resemble the positivity and good luck of Indian culture. Furthermore, things turn out to be interesting when there is a DJ night rocking the Barbie Pind with hit Bollywood songs and seeing the Kens (male figures of Barbie Dolls) beating the Punjabi Dhols. The official drink for these venues would be Lassi or Indian buttermilk, with desserts like Gulab Jamun and Kulfi for the end.
BARBIE CELEBRATING KARWA CHAUTH
While our natural imagination of Barbie dwells on rolling down the Christmas trees and unpacking the Christmas gifts, we would observe the Indian Barbies decorating their land during the day of Karwa Chauth (an Indian festival where women keep a fast for their husbands). It would be fantastic to see how the Barbies dress for the rituals of Karwa Chauth and then offer the holy prayers in the evening with the Kens while looking at the moon.
DO NOT MESS WITH BARBIE SINGH DHILLON
We all know how the Western Barbies love passing smiles at everyone and blushing at the numerous compliments they receive. However, please do not mess with our traditional Barbie Singh Dhillon by bombarding her with gazes. She can get furious and take out her chappal (Indian sandals) to beat you if you cross the boundaries of Indian culture, which differs from the West.
A DREAM
Creating an Indian Barbie with a traditional Barbie Land could be a great initiative for the Bollywood industry and help promote diversity. Like the West promotes multiculturalism by translating Bollywood songs and characters into their versions, how about the East trying the same with Western characters? How many are excited for Barbie Singh Dhillon to rock India?
