A Mumbai news daily put Salman at number two on their list of most eligible bachelors -the first being Rahul Gandhi. Cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni was third on the list.
I found the facts interesting because it was a further corroboration of the findings of the Screen-C Fore survey carried out last week that the aam aadmi is far more interested in news about film stars’ personal lives than their work. And this after the constant rant about the media paying excessive attention to trivia on film folks-go figure!
What it also means is that celebrities in general and film stars in particular are unlikely to get respite from the 24/7 media scrutiny-the best they can do is brace themselves for more of the prying cameras and flashbulbs! Bring out the dark glasses or hoodies, I’d say and when within the zoom and shoot range, be good!
Meanwhile, the couture week with Bollywood’s presence in the front rows and on the runway being the most significant feature, once again highlighted that Bollywood is soon going to lead the fashion sweepstakes. When it comes to styles, film icons have always fired the collective imagination. Marylyn Monroe’s platinum curls, the flying dress, Elvis Presley puff (not strictly filmi this one) and closer home the Sadhana Cut, Dev Anand’s hairstyle, Madhuri Dixit’s ‘Hum Aapke Hain Kaun!’ (yes the purple monstrosity) get-up as also Rani Mukerji’s Babli look from ‘Bunty Aur Babli’ are a few examples.
The newfound love of our desi designers for matinee idols is understandable-with over-the-top-pricing and more often than not, terrible finish to the clothes, the fashionable haves and have-nots have so far preferred the high-street brands to Indian designers. What better way therefore to draw the eyeballs than rope in film stars with their popular appeal?
It certainly gets the unwashed masses interested enough to skim through the overpriced stack on the rack. Pretty dresses for free or a lifetime supply of style tips works wonders in luring the Bollywood brigade. Add to that the joy of skimming through the next day’s papers to spot one in the front row seats giving the models a look-over with a seasoned eye or prancing on the runway as the world watches -the bait is just too tempting to resist.
To borrow a phrase from the news channel anchors-at the end of the day, everyone goes away happy. Never mind the tacky finish and prices that will burn a hole in those delicate, silk-lined pockets, there is some consolation in this newfound love for all things designer-ugly, if fashionable can be overlooked!
If there be talk of fashion, can models be far behind? Never mind that actors have taken to the ramp like they are running short of film projects, models in B town are not doing too badly either. Arjun Rampal, after a difficult decade in the industry, has proved his mettle with three impressive performances all in a row. It started with his villainous act in ‘OSO’ ably followed up by ‘Rock On!!’ and ‘The Last Lear’.
No wonder then that the dishy Rampal is having the last laugh. Others from the ramp with projects and accolades are Katrina Kaif with five successive hits and the Numero Uno tag under her belt, Bipasha Basu, lauded for her performance in Bachna Ae Haseeno and Deepika Padukone with several plum offers in the kitty! More power to the beautiful people.