Kabul Diary - Soft Power

Muhammad is 24. He has a girlfriend. She is in the 12th standard. He says she is way more intelligent than him. She has stood first in every class. He hopes to marry her some day. He keeps her pictures in his cell phone.

He has other pictures too. Of his 23-year-old cousin who died three months ago of brain tumour. The cousin traveled  to a Delhi hospital to treat it. After a three-month fight, he died. Medical attention is prized here. There are not many hospitals. I know of a Delhi doctor, a laproscopy expert, who flies down on some weekends to do surgeries. He lands on Friday evenings. Gets to work at 8 am on Saturday morning and finishes at 8 in the evening. He repeats the schedule on Sunday and leaves the next day. The Indian embassy is flooded with requests for visas to get medical care.

Muhammad also has another set of pictures on his cell phone. Of Salman Khan. In fact, the brawny Khan in various poses, with and without shirt, occupies most of his cell phone memory. Muhammad pumps iron everyday, inspired by Salman. Soft power flowing in young Afghan veins. He keeps playing nineties’ hindi songs on his cassette player in the car.

Indian movie stars perhaps have no idea how much they are worshipped here. Muhammad’s other favourite is Arjun Rampal. His family’s favourite TV serial is Saas bhi kabhi bahu thi. One person says Tulsi (Smriti Irani) can easily win if she stood for elections here.

I go to the restaurant in the hotel I am staying to get water. The staff is hooked to Paresh Rawal in some funny movie.

A friend here tells me about an incident two years ago. Sonu Nigam had come to Kabul for a concert. ``There were riots that day,’’ he says. About 25,000 people thronged the venue. The top brass of the Afghan government was in the front row. Midway through the concert, people got on to the stage; to dance. The stage collapsed!

Last week, many Afghans, including the President, were in mourning. They missed love, foretold by Jagjit Singh.

Hamne kya khoya, Hamne kya paaya…