'Barack' and 'Modi' A Welcome Informality

In the end it's all about chemistry. And if the chemistry is right, nuclear deals and the economy will fall into place, apparently.
 
If the bear-hug at the tarmac set the tone of the visit of the US President, the stroll in the rose gardens of the Hyderabad House confirmed a deepening of the bromance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
 
And as Modi and Obama sat down for their chai pe charcha, and cleared the slips between the cup and the lip on the nuclear deal, the commentating class went 'wow!'.
 
But Mr Modi was not done with his POTUS broments.
 
At the joint media interaction, Modi said he believed that relations between countries depend less on "full stops and commas on papers" and more on the rapport between leaders. "How much they know each other, how is their chemistry, these are very important. Barack and me..." he said as jaws dropped and the media went into a tizzy. He called him by his first name. A senior journalist in close proximity remarked: "You can't beat this guy. Only he can pull it off."
 
The comment was telling. We are all so used to diplomatic formalities among leaders that any digression, however welcome, comes as a surprise.
 
And Modi is not the only one enjoying the moment.
 
Obama in a similar vein addressed him as 'Modi' and referred to their personal friendship which they have been able to build "in a very brief amount of time".
 
He told the journalists, curious about the one-on-one talks they had in the lawns of Hyderabad House, that the two leaders, among other things, compared how much sleep each of them gets.
 
"It turns out Modi is getting much less sleep than me. Of course, that is because he is still new. After he has been doing it for about six years, maybe he will be able to get an extra hour," the US leader joked, triggering smiles all around.
 
At the Rashtrapati Bhavan dinner, Obama recalled a headline back home which asked who is the new fashion icon other than Michelle Obama. He even joked about how he toyed with the idea of wearing a "Modi kurta" and in a self-deprecating humorous way talked about his two left feet. 

More informality, more casual cheer.
 
At the R-day parade, Obama was seen holding his own umbrella and chatting with Vice Presidennt Hamid Ansari. And then came the gum moment. Cameras caught Obama chewing and, to the horror of the chatteratti, taking it out and putting back in his mouth. Oh come on, we all do that with the gums, don't we? For Obama, too, it's a case of an old habit refusing to go away. Relax guys  -it's Nicorette.
 
Certain things only remind us of the humanness of leaders that is usually blocked out by handlers, protocol, and more.
 
Why must leaders conform to strict textbook formalities all the time?
 
Wish some tinge of this informality also percolates into our local political discourse and doesn't leave entirely on Air Force One. There's too much stiffness.
 
For once, I won't let the cynic in me take over. I raise a toast to the Modi-Obama "dosti" -his words, not mine.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this blog are the personal opinions of the author. NDTV is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this blog. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts or opinions appearing on the blog  do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.