The Marketer Who Went Off Consumption

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Regular readers of the blog would recall that I started hosting Saturday Night Movie Marathons last month in the hope that they will become an interesting social context to meet new people.

What happens in the movie marathons? Well, basically, we meet up on a Saturday night at someone’s place and watch four back-to-back movies, from dinner to brunch.

However, this week’s Saturday Night Movie Marathon has a twist two twists. The first twist is that it starts at three in the afternoon, and the second twist is that it is followed by a house party.

The last two movie marathons (1 and 2) have taught me that sticking to a theme is easier said than done, but this week’s movies also have a theme — journeys.

So, we’ll start with The Motorcycle Diaries and follow it up with Y Tu Mamá También, Everything is Illuminated, Before Sunset and Sideways, or as many of them as we can watch.

Sideways is especially apt for tomorrow because I’m throwing the ‘after-party’ for my friend Rana, who is in the city for the weekend. Rana and I are like Jack and Miles from
Sideways, and the conversation we had earlier today afternoon is totally in character –

Gaurav: Great! I’ll call a few friends over on Saturday evening, we’ll open a bottle of wine, settle down on my futon, and watch a few movies.

Rana: (shocked) Dude! I’m in Bombay for a weekend. I don’t want to sit at home and watch movies. Let’s go pub-hopping instead. Why don’t we start at Hard Rock Cafe, then go over to Blue Frog, before hopping over to Bandra?

Gaurav: (explains) Rana, all these places are way too crowded on a Saturday night. Besides, I’m not allowed to go pubbing for a year, remember?

Rana: (shrugs) Ah! Your off consumption experiment! OK, let me be reasonable. Let’s throw a party at your place instead.

Gaurav: (doubtfully) Well, can can do that — I still have a lot of alcohol left — but I’m not allowed to order food and I don’t feel up to cooking for twenty people. Besides, now that there’s no maidservant, cleaning up afterwards will be quite a chore.

Rana: Arre, don’t worry about all that. I’ll order food and I’ll help you clean up. It will be perfect.

Gaurav: (laughs) Rana, I can’t even imagine you cleaning up after a party. Heh! Also, even your ordering food is against the rules.

Rana: (crestfallen) Come on, dude, don’t do this to me. You are off consumption, but I am not. If this is how things will be, I’ll have to stay with another friend when I’m in Bombay next.

Gaurav: (in damage control mode) No, no, don’t say that. Okay, let’s do this. We’ll start with the movies in the afternoon, and then move on to the party as the night sets in. In any case, I love meeting your friends.

Rana: (happily) Great! Twenty people then. What will you cook?

Gaurav: (sighs).

So, that’s the little back-story about the after-party. I’m sure that everyone who comes to the party tomorrow will wonder how it fits in with my off consumption experiment, but what’s a little off consumption bad karma compared to a friendship of four years?

By the way, if you are in South Bombay tomorrow, do drop in for the movie marathon from 3 pm onwards, or the party afterwards. As always, you can call me on +919223366624 for directions.

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