When life gives you lemons, sometimes, even making a lemonade doesn’t work out because you’re using somebody else’s recipe.
Confused? What I’m trying to say is that life is different for everyone and yet, we try and tread its path with somebody else’s tried and tested formula.
But how do you ‘be yourself’ amidst all the clutter and pressure? Don’t fret because you can take a lesson or two from Monisha Sarabhai!
Given her ultra-sassy and extremely-sophisticated nature, Maya Sarabhai is perhaps the most aspirational character of the show. But in all honesty, it is Monisha who deserves the attention!
Monisha is fearless in her own, ‘middle-class’ ways.
When she wants a discount, she bloody well gets it and has absolutely no shame, despite her forever-nagging mother-in-law. In the words of Maya Sarabhai, Monisha comes from a ‘typically middle-class’ family and she has managed to remain the way she’s always been.
Ever heard of peer pressure? Well, Monisha doesn’t do that shit!
The confidence of being yourself, in some way, stems from the attitude of not breaking easily.
Despite Maya’s snarky-yet-hilarious comments, Monisha is one who would hardly take offence.
She might throw a fit, every now and then, screaming how she’d leave the house (though she never leaves it!) but none of it changes the fact that Monisha is damn comfortable in her own skin.
As far as Monisha is concerned, she’d rather take free dhaniya-mirchi than take offence!
In Maya Sarabhai’s house, perhaps even the air conditioners throw out air particles dripping with sophistication. And in India, one is sophisticated only if they know the difference between ‘your’ and ‘you’re’.
Then comes Monisha, proudly displaying her lack of proficiency in the English language.
She might not know how the language works but she never stops trying, even if it makes her look like a fool in the eyes of the other Sarabhais.
So much so that, she even invents new words and totally owns them!
Monisha has never tried to compete with Maya. Not because she can’t but because she doesn’t want to!
In fact, if you remember, there was one episode where Monisha gets a sophisticated makeover. She can talk English and walk English. Eventually, she has the family begging her to go back to being her old self because that’s the Monisha everybody loves.
She makes sure that everyone realizes she is who she is and even makes others apologize for trying to change her.
Monisha might’ve changed her name from Manisha but she remained the same girl she had been forever.
She’s a sucker for discounts. Her middle-class behaviour is always on fleek. She doesn’t think twice before saying anything stupid. Her house might not be the cleanest but her intentions totally are.
This is how you be yourself.
In a world of Maya Sarabhais, aspire to be like Monisha!