Can India ever be under-the-top?

Forget Viksit Bharat for a moment - it's 23 years away, so, who's checking? Instead, consider the possibility - nay, challenge, of India becoming an understated, under-the-top society. In other words, a Bollywood movie without a dance sequence. In this Gedankenexperiment - Einstein's longish word for 'thought experiment' - we live in a country where the culture of honking horns is replaced by the gentle hum of walks, cycles and EVs; where weddings are classy intimate affairs with a guest list that fits on a Post-it note; and where cricket victories are celebrated with a polite golf clap.

India, with its penchant for the grandiose and OTT, doesn't have subtlety in its bouquet of virtues. Imagine a Diwali without the loud crackers, a Holi without the riot. Yes, it's like asking a peacock to strut without its feathers. And yet, and yet, there's such a charm in the idea of an understated India. So, can it? Become an understated society, that is? Maybe in pockets, in whispers, and in moments. But let's be honest, being understated is a tough ask when being loud and showy is the sought-out way to be even by those who needn't be loud and showy. Nuance and quietude are not considered virtues to be flaunted - yet. But truth be told, one key criterion of being viksit is actually being under-the-top, underrated, restrained. Who knows, perhaps by 2047?