City and its Other — manifestations of urban experiences by upper class small town inhabitants
“Ee hai bambai nagariya tu dekh babua, Ee hai bambai nagariya tu dekh babua, sone chandi ki dagariya tu dekh babua”
The lyrics of Don truthfully capture the viscious charm of a metropolis. The city is enticing, discomforting and lonely. The article focusses on the experience of the city as an upper class small town inhabitant. It is a significant segment that migrates from smaller towns to metropolitan cities. Studies have emphasized on the differences between the consumption pattern of upper class smaller town inhabitants from those who reside in the metros. Therefore, it becomes significant to study the psychograhics and the cultural landscape of this segment when they move to the cities, in order that brands may serve them better. In fact, Indian movies and shows have been on trend showcasing the joys and struggles of this segment.
The city symolises consumption; social and cultural. The prominent sites of consumption such as shopping malls, amusement parks are aspirational. They are alternate worlds within themselves that symbolize the pleasures of a city life. These constant stimulations could turn into angst, despair and finally a submissive acceptance of urban indifference for the inhabitants. However, for an outsider they are opportunities yet to be explored.
It was evident in the film ‘Dolly Kitty aur Woh Chamakte Sitare’ when Kitty says “Noida sapno ka sheher hai”, when she is drinking and partying with her friends in Noida. However, one could also sense Kitty’s feelings of discomfort around the novelty and pleasures that surrounded her. Market research has given me the opportunity to interact with consumers from varied socio-economic backgrounds all over the country. If I have observed a sense of wonder in their eyes for the glitter of the city, there was also a longing to return to the comfort of the roots. For example, I remember meeting a woman from Jharkhand who had moved to Delhi for her job. She lives in her own apartment, parties with friends, shops and indulges herself. She is proud of it, but also misses the ‘naivety’ of her town. She realizes that Delhi provides her with the kind of independence that wouldn’t be possible to seek in Jharkhand. However, there is also a yearning to go back to the comforts of home.
Brands, for them, are opportunities. They could play a key role in building certain identity codes. It could be in terms of their choice of fashion, technology, personal care, or food habits. A brand could also extend a little further from just providing them with choices. It could be mixed with the comfort of something familiar while still retaining its premium-ness. This could help soothe the anxieties of uprootedness. And would also fulfill the longing to stay connected with the roots in different ways. This was beautifully captured in the McDowell ad starring Vicky Kaushal where he starts dancing to the beats of a dhol while getting ready to go for an award function.
The bittersweet longing for the roots could also be observed in the famous show ‘Made in Heaven’ through the character of Sobhita Dhulipala. She embodies the upper class aesthetics that align with her husband and in-laws. She even enjoys that. Kalki’s character (her friend in the web series) even remarks on how she has changed and is now ‘branded from head to toe’. However, on a particular visit to her home in a humble locality of the same city she realizes how much she yearns for the simpler things in life.
What causes this yearning? It is the discomfort experienced in the city through the objects that appear distant from one’s cultural and social capital. One has to build various aspects of the self and life that would corroborate what the new life asks of them.
These are the consumers trying to bridge the gap between their traditional upbringing and newly imbibed metropolitan sensibilities. They are strongly upwardly mobile, ambitious for a metro lifestyle and are willing to work hard for it. Even though they find comfort in traditional roots, they try to leave some cultural codes behind and embody the new ones. Brands could support the segment in two ways –
· Support the rigour of their ambition as they are the ones most accepting of novelty
· Help keep the nostalgia of their roots alive
By: Noopur Sharma
