This weekend, while mindlessly channel surfing for some thing to entertain me while I nodded off to sleep, I came across an interesting show on FX called 30 days. The shows premise was that an ordinary American would step out of their comfort zone to experience a reality that is contrary to theirs.
The fascinating series is the brainchild of Morgan Spurlock, an Independent film director and screenwriter better known for his documentary film Super Size Me, in which he attempted to demonstrate the negative health effects of eating McDonald’s by substituting all his meals for meals at this super franchise for 30 days.
This particular episode revolved around Chris Jobin. Chris is 37 yrs old software programmer who had a seemingly secure job with Morgan Stanley’s commodities desk in New York until 2003. His job, like many others in America, was outsourced to Bangalore, India rendering him jobless and embittered by the experience. Chris travels to India to live in the squalor for 30 days with a typical middle class couple Ravi, Suni and their extended family.
Chris leaves India after 30 days with quite a perspective shift. He is confronted by the trials and tribulations that average Indians face daily; how little they have and how much they aspire to succeed. Chris has a first row seat to the daily struggle that is India – modernization vs. tradition, men and women, rich and poor.
At the end of the 30 day experiment, Chris and interestingly Ravi and Suni, were able to understand if not accept the other side of the argument. The experience challenged many misconceptions that Chris had about India, or his gracious hosts had about Chris and the US…
