Thread by @TheAtulMishra

CAT, Bihar and Punjab - The series that uncovers the reality of India’s “happiest”state. - A thread.

I am a Bihari, not the I-was-only-born-there-Bihari. I am a Pakka Bihari. I was born in Jahanabad, brought up in Patna and did my schooling from Patna. Most of my friends are from Bihar. Half of my family lives there and I visit Bihar at least 4 times a year.

My siblings, cousins and I did our schooling from Patna in the 90s, often dubbed as the Jungle Raj time. It definitely was. We knew about the extortion industry. We knew about the “rangadari” culture. We didn’t smoke or drink or did drugs, most Bihari kids of my age didn’t.

My father respects my mother. Most Bihari husbands do. My mother took major decisions in our family along with my father. We were fond of movies. Most single screens in Patna ran to packed houses.

But Bihar had a bad name even in Cinema too. Bihari characters in cinema were often the bad guys. They weren’t sophisticated gangsters, they were uncivil and crass goons. Bihari dialect was often used in cinema to evoke laughter.

Punjab was a welcome contrast. At least that’s how I saw it. Beautiful mustard farms stretching till the horizon, honest hardworking farmers, beautiful punjabi kudis in their Colorful salwar suits and Parandas.

Punjabis were often portrayed as rich. And not just rich, they were honest, hardworking and altruistic. I never saw Punjabi or Sikh guys brandishing guns on screen. They were high on food, scotch and life. Biharis on the other hand were ready to kill for money.

As years rolled by, and I read more about Punjab, reality began to dawn on me. I must have been in my first year of engineering when I first read about the Sikh separatist movement.

It was around 2010 that a Sikh friend told me about the drugs menace in Punjab and I found it hard to believe.

It was pretty much downhill from there. As 2022 is about to bid adieu and Punjab has a new Chief Minister, many perceptions have changed.

Khalistan 2.0, drugs, Fake farmers protest, ISI influence, obsession for Canada, crass music, Rockstar culture, Killings over “Be-Adabi”, mass scale conversion and much more - we know more about Punjab than it allowed us to know.

And then I watched @RandeepHooda starrer #CAT. It’s gripping and revolting. Its binge watch stuff and a difficult watch at the same time. It’s like someone destroyed the aura around Punjab and presented the truth for everyone to see.

At the core of the series is an undercover agent trying to destroy the drug mafia in Punjab and everything else is Punjab in its full gloom.

Armed gangsters running amok, drunk men viciously attacking their women, rock stars and rave parties, garish display of wealth, feudalistic mindset, a penchant for separatism, morbid obsession with gyms and a chronic aversion for books.

Punjab is deeply flawed. It’s not Sarso de Khet and Bhangra. It’s not tractors, Makkhan, happy families and Aahun Aahun.

It’s organised mafia, Columbia style drug cartel, terrorism, widespread brainwashing, corrupt government officials, deeply corrupt politicians and broken families.

Punjab had a glorious past, but currently it’s a celebration of toxic masculinity (I’m using liberal lingo, but trust me it fits here). Punjab is currently a celebration of mediocrity.

Punjab is currently a hub of many anti-humanity things. If Bihar was in Jungle Raj from early 90s till mid 2000s. Punjab has never been out of it. Punjab needs a reset.

The makers of CAT must be felicitated for showing the truth of Punjab apart from a gripping story. They must be thanked for showing us a Punjab starkly different from the Punjab of Yashraj and Johar.

The color of Punjab is not mustard yellow, it’s Chitta white.