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Sunday, July 30, 2006
From the bikini to the bindi
In a feature titled "First bikini, the bindi," the Times of India explains how actresses evolve in Bollywood. It begins with exposure:
"You don't have to come with me today, Mommy," says the starlet. "Rituda wants me to dress up in a shaaree made of shootee."
"But I want to come, Beti," says Mommy. "I have become addicted to the glamour, the spotlights, the thrill of hearing 'Lights, Camera, Action,' the smell of the sets, the spotboys with their taut muscles and throbbing loincloths. I want to come, Beti, I want to come."
"Where's Daddy?" asks Beti.
Then they realise with a start that they haven't seen Daddy in the last nine years. Oh, the side-effects of pursuing a career in the movies!
So, a Nisha Kothari readily squeezed herself into a pushup contraption that was two sizes too small to enhance her bust in Killer. Mallika Sherawat romped around in a bikini in Bachke Rehna Re Baba .I can only wonder if the ladies mentioned in that second para also had an "ample male form" to display. Well, never mind redundancies. There's a nice line later about how, having moved beyond their early days as starlets, these ladies "then venture into art cinema and scramble for Rituparno Ghosh's address." I can only presume that the mother is then not required.
Priyanka Chopra, Bipasha Basu, Antara Mali and Neha Dhupia also displayed their ample female form in the first couple of movies.
Oddly though, as soon as these actresses establish themselves in front-benchers' minds as benevolent providers, they start shopping for clothes. Or bring their mother on the sets to intimidate filmmakers.
"You don't have to come with me today, Mommy," says the starlet. "Rituda wants me to dress up in a shaaree made of shootee."
"But I want to come, Beti," says Mommy. "I have become addicted to the glamour, the spotlights, the thrill of hearing 'Lights, Camera, Action,' the smell of the sets, the spotboys with their taut muscles and throbbing loincloths. I want to come, Beti, I want to come."
"Where's Daddy?" asks Beti.
Then they realise with a start that they haven't seen Daddy in the last nine years. Oh, the side-effects of pursuing a career in the movies!
