In my Indian-American family, no occasion is complete without celebration. Getting into the spirit of Christmas means bollywood musicOur elders didn’t grow up celebrating Christmas, but they fully embrace it and when we gather for Christmas dinner at my in-laws’ house in Los Angeles, everyone is at work. My job is to deejay with my cell phone synced to a Bluetooth speaker while the nuts are roasted in masalas and the dads gather around a glass of wine. The head of the family, my father-in-law, his Vrajesh Lal, sips a pint of his noir and starts the night with “something Christmasy” like “Elvis’ Christmas His Album” . (Vrajesh, who immigrated to the United States from India in 1972, is a big Elvis fan.) But when nuts gave way to Cornish game and cumin-crusted pumpkin (vegetarian friendly), he Always warn me. New Directive: “Let’s wear Bollywood, shall we?” My playlist includes covers of Bangla-style Christmas music, North Indian beats, bollywood brass band And some of my father-in-law’s favorite Bollywood hits. Even the King can’t resist this family’s urge to celebrate Christmas with jam in his home country.
Day 22: A Very Bollywood Christmas
