The message was sent by a spaced-out journalist friend on the entertainment beat, stationed permanently on the graveyard shift since her journalism debut.
Now, random messages at ungodly hours on a Monday morning do not amuse me. So I promptly messaged her back asking who the "she" and "it" in question were, half expecting her to text me back about Deepa Mehta being declared an early Oscar winner. Huh!
Obviously, I had been too clued out over the extended weekend to understand that the world - at least the sizeable Indian chunk of it - had been waiting with bated breath to know the verdict on Shilpa Shetty on UK reality show Celebrity(!!) Big Brother!
Ha! So was I supposed to feel glad and a trifling more Indian at the big victory?
After all, the "UP-Bihar" item babe had "gracefully" managed to oust her "tormentors" from the show and had successfully overcome "racial victimisation" on Prime Time television.
Wasn't she the perfect picture of a "good Indian girl" winning over an emotional audience who couldn't stand her being bullied around by UK's B-list celeb scum?
Yes, I was glad. Though for different a reason. Will come to that later.
For now, Shilpa seemed to be every waking man's (at least journalist's) centre of universe.
As her joyous pleasure cries reverberated, and her red skimpy top shimmied across news channels, I wondered aloud - Whatever was the Big deal?.
Here are my prime objections to the song-and-dance over Shilpa's victory dance:
Shilpa Shetty ain't no "A-list movie star" as being claimed by many in the media and Ms Shetty herself (of course you could forgive her for that considering she was to share space on the show with the dirt of UK's celeb circle. Think am kidding? Run a Google Image search on Jade Goody and you would know!) If playing second-fiddle in films like Baazigar or uninspiring performances in a slew of forgettables later makes one an "A-list star", I am sure a Mamta Kulkarni is an equally deserving candidate.
She was being paid - and oh boy, being paid BIG - to be on the show. The prospect of getting richer by a few crores doesn't hurt anyone, certainly not a star deprived of quality work.
Her "quotable quotes" in the Diary Room made one cringe and squirm. They sounded phoney and contrived more than anything else. Sample this, "I didn't even know what was going on outside. I mean we don't even have real grass in the Big Brother House. It's all plastic." Grass or not, you sure do sound plastic lady. Oscar winning show indeed.
Her U-turn on the racism allegation came as the icing on the rotten cake. And all of it was served with a generous helping of UK Prime Minister, PM-in-waiting, India's Finance Minister et al commenting on the issue and her weepy mother rushing to UK to the rescue of her tormented daughter! Sob, sob and urgh!
I am sure most would take me for a compulsive cynic trying to undermine a hot actress' victory.
Cynic I am, but not without a reason. I do not contest that racism is bad. It must be condemned in all forms and that our lass was subjected to unfair treatment.
And yes, I really am wondering, open-mouthed, at the sudden turn of fortunes for a woman who would have perhaps been best remembered for her bootylicious moves in "UP-Bihar" songs.
Of course, getting to become an overnight sensation - for whatever reasons - is no mean feat.
But does it really call for celebrations? Does it really require us - the media and the public - to go gaga?
Whoever cares?
I would, if I were in Shilpa's shoes. Certainly not otherwise. About the AuthorDivisha Gupta ...Read Morefirst published:January 29, 2007, 18:02 ISTlast updated:January 29, 2007, 18:02 IST
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"She won, she won! Can you believe it, she actually won," I was trying to adjust myself to the cold comfort of the office cab at 6:30 am on a foggy Monday morning, when what read like an encrypted message beeped on my screen.
The message was sent by a spaced-out journalist friend on the entertainment beat, stationed permanently on the graveyard shift since her journalism debut.
Now, random messages at ungodly hours on a Monday morning do not amuse me. So I promptly messaged her back asking who the "she" and "it" in question were, half expecting her to text me back about Deepa Mehta being declared an early Oscar winner. Huh!
Obviously, I had been too clued out over the extended weekend to understand that the world - at least the sizeable Indian chunk of it - had been waiting with bated breath to know the verdict on Shilpa Shetty on UK reality show Celebrity(!!) Big Brother!
Ha! So was I supposed to feel glad and a trifling more Indian at the big victory?
After all, the "UP-Bihar" item babe had "gracefully" managed to oust her "tormentors" from the show and had successfully overcome "racial victimisation" on Prime Time television.
Wasn't she the perfect picture of a "good Indian girl" winning over an emotional audience who couldn't stand her being bullied around by UK's B-list celeb scum?
Yes, I was glad. Though for different a reason. Will come to that later.
For now, Shilpa seemed to be every waking man's (at least journalist's) centre of universe.
As her joyous pleasure cries reverberated, and her red skimpy top shimmied across news channels, I wondered aloud - Whatever was the Big deal?.
Here are my prime objections to the song-and-dance over Shilpa's victory dance:
- Shilpa Shetty ain't no "A-list movie star" as being claimed by many in the media and Ms Shetty herself (of course you could forgive her for that considering she was to share space on the show with the dirt of UK's celeb circle. Think am kidding? Run a Google Image search on Jade Goody and you would know!) If playing second-fiddle in films like Baazigar or uninspiring performances in a slew of forgettables later makes one an "A-list star", I am sure a Mamta Kulkarni is an equally deserving candidate.
- She was being paid - and oh boy, being paid BIG - to be on the show. The prospect of getting richer by a few crores doesn't hurt anyone, certainly not a star deprived of quality work.
- Her "quotable quotes" in the Diary Room made one cringe and squirm. They sounded phoney and contrived more than anything else. Sample this, "I didn't even know what was going on outside. I mean we don't even have real grass in the Big Brother House. It's all plastic." Grass or not, you sure do sound plastic lady. Oscar winning show indeed.
- Her U-turn on the racism allegation came as the icing on the rotten cake. And all of it was served with a generous helping of UK Prime Minister, PM-in-waiting, India's Finance Minister et al commenting on the issue and her weepy mother rushing to UK to the rescue of her tormented daughter! Sob, sob and urgh!
I am sure most would take me for a compulsive cynic trying to undermine a hot actress' victory.
Cynic I am, but not without a reason. I do not contest that racism is bad. It must be condemned in all forms and that our lass was subjected to unfair treatment.
And yes, I really am wondering, open-mouthed, at the sudden turn of fortunes for a woman who would have perhaps been best remembered for her bootylicious moves in "UP-Bihar" songs.
Of course, getting to become an overnight sensation - for whatever reasons - is no mean feat.
But does it really call for celebrations? Does it really require us - the media and the public - to go gaga?
Whoever cares?
I would, if I were in Shilpa's shoes. Certainly not otherwise.
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