Happy Thanksgiving! In about an hour, I am going to leave to pick up dinner and then go to my parents for the day. But right now I am going to take a moment and talk about how thankful I am for DCIB.
I started this blog intending it to be a place to share my thoughts on Indian film, thoughts that I was having no luck getting published anywhere else. I had just finished writing my book but I knew I had SO MUCH more that I wanted to say. So I started out planning to make this a place for challenging intellectual discussion with a sense of humor, a place that people who loved these films as much as I do could come together and talk about a shared obsession.
And 6 years later I can say that yes, it is that. But what I did not expect is that it would become a place where we all truly love and care about each other as people. Last year I announced I was going to be slowing down the blog, and I have mostly stuck with that. I’m not obsessing about seeing movies opening night, or writing super long posts every day. I haven’t written a “Hindi Film 101” in ages. But what I have discovered is that those things were never the core of the DCIB community.
We all came together because we like the same movies, yes. But we stayed together because we like the same things in those movies, the open acceptance of difference, the importance of love and family. And disliked the same things too, the rigid definitions of social roles, the patriarchy, the value in putting “the right thing” over personal love.
Because we are people with the same values, and those values put love and acceptance over all, this has turned into one of the most loving and accepting communities I have ever been a part of. Babies are born, grandfathers die, sons grow up, dogs are adopted, life turns on it’s wheel, and with every turn we are pulled tighter and tighter into a bond. My DCIB people have become my closest friends, in a strange way. I know about your life on a day to day basis, I care and worry and celebrate with you daily.
What makes this community truly magical, what makes me most thankful on this day of thanksgiving, is that you all care about each other as well. I know that I can put up a post about Filmikudhi having a baby, or Rachel’s birthday, or a photo of Maria’s dog, and everyone will care about this, and know who these people are. This is a place where sharing doubles happiness and halves grief.
A community is the sum of it’s parts, but each of those parts go into making it special. So today I want to call out the people who make this place special. Genevieve, Emily, Filmikudhi, Popka, Kainaat, Procrastinatrix, Patricia Merry, Maria Gil, Joyomama, Kirre, Niki, Courtney, Angie, Shreyans, Eva, Molly, Zindagi, Sal, Shelomit, Claudia, Elin Star, Miss Braganza, and everyone else I may have forgotten, and everyone else who just lurks and sends positive vibes to us, thank you ALL. And I love you all, even the ones I don’t know.
And finally, because it is Thanksgiving, here is a photo of my sister’s turkey in her slowcooker. Well, ALMOST in the slowcooker. I am sure it will be fine:
dontcallitbollywood 
Beautifully put, Margaret, as always.
I’ve been away from DCIB for a few weeks and missing it. I read your posts and members’ comments with my morning coffee and they send me off on my day feeling less alone, and part of the crazy, wonderful world of Indian Cinema. Thank you all!
And um, you have to take the wrapping off the turkey before you cook it.
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I’m supposed to put up an update that she took the wrapping off, cut it down, and successfully cooked it. But I think it is funnier to leave it as is.
On Thu, Nov 25, 2021 at 10:42 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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. . . and Ticket, too! (Ticket is SUCH a great commenter.)
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Ticket is a great commenter! 😉
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Awwwwww. Love you too.
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Aw thanks, Margaret! And I’m thankful too.
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What a wonderful post, Margaret! I am thankful for you as well. You have built a wonderful community here. I hope you have a nice Thanksgiving with your family.
P.S. I am a bit worried about your sister’s turkey and really curious about how it turned out.
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She cut it in half, baked half in the casserole dish with the stuffing, and the other half fit perfectly in the slow cooker.
On Thu, Nov 25, 2021 at 1:34 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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How (instructions needed) did she cook it in the slow cooker?
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Winged it based on the package directions: Rubbed with herb butter, put it breast-side-up in the cooker, poured in about 3/4 cup of chicken broth and cooked it on high for the number of hours listed on the label (it was around 9 pounds so that was about 6-8 hours). The toddler unplugged the slow cooker for an hour or two in the middle there but it still came out fine. The skin didn’t brown but it was really tasty otherwise.
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You make us comfortable, Margaret…you make us learn…you bind us together…you deserve every happiness you get!
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Btw…Happy Thanksgiving…and I love the SRK headers very much!
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Lovely thoughts.
This community brings many smiles to my face and at times, particularly recently with srk’s troubles, it is a safe haven too.
Thank you. 🙂
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And I love the headers too!!!
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Thank you for bringing us together in this virtual place! And thank you for the card – baby SRK and Cary made my day!
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Happy Thanksgiving, Margaret!!
Love this community – it’s like a fruitcake. Comforting, yet spicy and rich and surprising!
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Happy (late) Thanksgiving!! Thank you for making a safe space where we can all be ourselves. I hope you have a fun weekend ahead of you!
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Belated Happy Thanksgiving 🦃
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Such a sweet and lovely post. DCIB is such an important part of my life! Important enough that I’m typing this on a phone in the middle of nowhere with a smidgin of service. I hope that turkey was edible!
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Ah yes, I’m supposed to update people. She cut it in half, slowcooked one half, and cooked the other in the oven with the stuffing, and it was delicious.
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I’m so glad to have a comfortable place to share my love (and occasional irrational hatred) of Indian film and the people who make it! Happy belated Thanksgiving!
Ha, your sister’s turkey reminds me of the time my SIL decorated for Christmas by getting an unopened package of tinsel and taping it just like that to the wall.
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That sounds like a GREAT way to decorate. Especially with tinsel, which gets EVERYWHERE.
On Sat, Nov 27, 2021 at 12:02 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Thanks for giving us this space to connect and bond over movies!
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Happy belated Thanksgiving everyone!
And thank you Margaret for creating this wonderful community 🙂
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Thankful for this place you created and the people who hang out here. Wishing you a holiday season unplagued by mischievous elves or other setbacks.
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Thank you!
On Sun, Nov 28, 2021 at 5:27 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Ha, it IS a great community group, from the snarky comments to the photos of Albie’s latest jumper (sweater?). I am so happy to get a namecheck even tho l’m such a new bug. Glad to hear the turkey situation was resolved so well. Looks like l’ll be roasting the Christmas bird this year, in my mother-in-laws kitchen , thats going to be weird without her there.
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Honored to be name dropped even if I haven’t been on as much lately because I’m so busy (but I’m always lurking even if I can’t comment). Grateful for the space, grateful for the outlet, for the community, for the people, for you. Happy belated Thanksgiving and Hanukkah at this point too, I guess. And happy holidays, officially!!
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I can sense your lurking energy 🙂
On Mon, Dec 6, 2021 at 4:58 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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