Calling Names

Shining the light -
but certainly not on my name!!

I have always wondered why the people in call centres change their names- why would Krishnan say his name was Chris and Vijayalakshmi say her name was Lucky? I thought it was such a futile exercise in attempting to get the caller to forget that he was dealing with an Indian and not someone from his/her own country. Or maybe it was because it makes it easier for the caller to pronounce it. I wonder what I would change MY name to if I were to work in a call centre and more importantly - whyMy name is easy come to think of it – anu is quite close to Ann so most people here in the UK end up calling me Ann-oo. Which is cute too. So maybe I wouldn’t have to change my name. (One of my friends from BITS calls me Annie and I love that too. Annie somehow creates a picture of genteel softness – a trait I am desperately short of  - but I have to remember Anu by any other name would..well..be the same!) 

Having worked on British sets the past few years, I have gotten used to being Ann-oo. Although the surname gets pronounced hussaan (hus – rhyming with bus and aan rhyming with Ann)I landed up on the sets yesterday and there was a new director. A big cheery energetic man whom I was meeting for the first time. I had worked with the same cast for two previous days and I was quite familiar with them. He was the only new person on the set and so we introduced ourselves – made the customary jokes and set about getting ready.About half an hour after we started working, I heard him call my name to give me directions. It sounded like “Abu” and I thought he had a cold. You know how it is – when your bose is blocked..and you cant seeb to be able to say agything clearly…(no they are not typos – that’s how sentences sound when you have a bad nose block)We continued working. But ten minutes later, when we had completed the scene, he came up to me and said “I loved what you were doing Abu. The reactions were perfect” I smothered a giggle and politely said “Thank you”

We moved on to the next scene. This time when he came to talk to me, my co actors heard him call me Abu and one of them snorted with laughter. I looked at the other who was going to correct the director and stopped him by shaking my head slightly. He paused – and changed his opening sentence to a cough and pretended to be looking for something when the director looked at him in askance.

After the director had gone off we all giggled at each other and I said “This is more fun – so let it be” (I didn’t say WHAT was because the mikes were all on and he would have heard me)And so it went on the whole day – with the director calling me Abu and the other actors pointedly calling me Abu as well at every chance they got. The poor man didn’t have a clue. He must have thought I was very popular to have everyone interacting with me so much!The day came to an end and I said bye and the director said “Abu, it was wonderful working with you – see you tomorrow” I smiled, thanked him and walked out to a chorus of “Bye Abu” from the rest of the cast.

I landed up for shoot the next day and as I walked on to the sets, the director looked at me and said “I am mortified! I have been calling you by the wrong name the whole of yesterday!”

Why this bear? cos i think its cute
No bears were harmed on the sets!

I burst out laughing and in between my giggles, said “I thought it was funny! “He gave me a mock glower and said “I’ve got your number now young lady! And you have given every one so much ammunition! They are NEVER going to let me live this down!”As he finished that sentence, in traipsed all four members of my family, chiming “good morning Abu” and hugging me and asking how Abu was.I was still laughing when the director rolled his eyes good naturedly and called for us to get ready. It was a particularly simple scene for me and as I finished that he looked at me and said “Good job Anu. Please tell Abu as well”I couldn’t help grinning at him.As the day came to an end and I said my goodbyes to everyone, I wasn’t quite sure that I didn’t prefer Abu to Anu – sounds cuter. Or maybe it is the memories of laughter and fun that I associate with it.

So now, I think I know what I would like to be called if I were to work in a call centre.