All Garam, No Sharam Awards: Leggy Ladies of 2011!

Remember those days when “thunder-thighed” actresses were considered voluptuous and wowed audiences? Yeah, it doesn’t fly no more. Nowadays, we want things tight. You know what I mean? No spilling guts, no flabby thighs and definitely no sagging boobage. But what really defines a hot Bollywood star is toned tanned legs. By default, I always think of Shilpa Shetty when I think of sizzling legs. But that doesn’t mean to say our current crop don’t own silky smooth legs that make you want to race your hands up and down…You can breathe now. And to honor these lovely legs, here’s the top five ladies who deserve the title of Leggy Lasses in this installment of “The All Garam, No Sharam Awards”.

5. Anushka Sharma
I’ve always thought Anushka Sharma walked like a chicken. She does, no? Thoda sa? But that doesn’t mean her legs aren’t worthy of a look. This year we got to see “a lot” of Anushka vis-à-vis her sexy avatar in Ladies v/s Ricky Bahl. Her legs made an exceptional appearance as it was displayed comprehensively throughout the film. She’s turning out to be quite the chuppa rustam hottie, this one.

4. Chitrangada Singh
She’s one of my favorite ladies this year, hands down. Chitrangada oozes sexiness. Her comeback this year allowed her to expose a sexier side to her that was until now we didn’t even know existed. Check out the legs on this lady. Bedroom eyes plus sexy legs equals one hot mamma!

3. Deepika Padukone
Fit and fine Deepika Padukone has to be a part of this list. She is one actress who makes looking slim super easy— and I hate her for it, but that’s a different story. While her slim frame and pretty face always take extra props, her legs never get enough credit. Tell me she doesn’t have one of the best pair in the business? #iWant

2. Katrina Kaif
Katrina Kaif has changed her role numerous times; bimbo, girl next door, rebel-turned-dulhan. But what has remained intact is her sexy set of lovely long legs. This year we received numerous chances to sit and admire her legs. Whether she roamed around in Spain or played a rebellious bride, we saw her legs in various avatars. Lucky us!

1. Priyanka Chopra
Now this gal has legs that make you want to die – irrespective of your gender. I’m uber jealous of Priyanka Chopra’s long sexy legs but more so when she sports a maxi and through a long high-legged slit dress slides out her legs, one by one. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t rock them her legs in jeans and of course, swimwear. She takes the crown in this round! Leggy Lass numero uno.

Legged out? I sure as hell hope not. Here’s hoping these ladies continue walking the walk and make us ogle at their prized possessions. Continue to break a leg ladies! Pun not intended.

All Garam, No Sharam Awards: Bikini Babes in 2011!

There is one big maha problem with fashion directors, magazines and creative designers; they don’t know the difference between lingerie and bikinis. A lot of the time, they believe one can pass for the other without realizing that really, you can’t substitute one for the other. So while I thought that I would solely countdown the best in swimwear for “All Garam, No Sharam Awards”, we’re gonna have to do a slight jugal bandi here. And thus, this is the top five ladies in Lingerie/Swimwear for 2011. Now what criteria could I possibly have besides one deciding factor: they need to look hubba-hubba drool worthy. 

5. Kangna Ranaut
I’m convinced Kangna hit puberty this year; she “bloomed” and “blossomed” . In Rascals, we saw her sport a white bikini which really had tongues a-wagging. But the question really way, where did they come from? Of course, she has doesn’t understand the term “going under the knife” (denial?) but somehow she managed to walk the walk and really work that bikini.

4. Nargis Fakhri
She barely made her mark in Bollywood and she already is a bikini babe. Nargis Fakhri’s svelte figure and mulayaam badan makes her one of the most envious women in India as well as one of the most admired ladies by men. While she bared nothing in Rockstar, she definitely didn’t mind stripping down for a number of photo shoots to demonstrate her sexy side.

3. Anushka Sharma
Anushka has one helluva a bod. But how often do you see it? Close to never. Perhaps the bubbly actress realized she has to compete with sexiness overload ala the hot actresses who are exposing and thus, in her last film, Ladies v/s Ricky Bahl, she went all out. Looking incredibly hot in her bikini, she parades around in Goa. Yet again, Anushka scores.

2. Priyanka Chopra
I’m not sure what Piggy is wearing in her Maxim photo shoot. It looks like a cross between lingerie and a bikini but either way she looks steaming piping hot. Known for her dusky figure, this should hardly be surprising but she never fails to make you sweat. Oh, and that belly piercing just upped the hotness factor by 100.

1. Deepika Padukone
Hands-down she looks fabulous in everything; but Deepika Padukone in a bikini makes you go va-va-vroom. Those mesmerizing eyes, silky skin and beautiful hair literally makes D-Pad one of the sexiest to look at. Red hot Deepika knows this only too well. Her “I’m-too-hot” attitude makes her rock that bod that much more. And she thus carries the crown for the hottest in this countdown.

 

Don’t go anywhere people! There’s a lot more to come – legs, rack, booty of the year are yet to happen! In the meantime ogle over these ladies…enjoy!

All Garam, No Sharam Awards: Bare Chested in 2011!

If yesterday was for the men, today is for my ladies. The “All Garam, No Sharam Awards” is all about display (get used to this word, you’re gonna see a lot of it). And while women have a lot to show off (boobs, booty, legs, midriffs, etc), men on the other hand have a lot less that can they can openly exhibit; for the most part, we have to use our imagination. But we all love our men only one way: shirtless. In 2011, quite a few of Bollywood’s leading actors took their shirts off (hubba-hubba) only for us to swoon. Now if they have no shame in taking it off, why should we feel sharam in admiring toned oiled chests? Sharam ko maaro goli. Check out the top five men who dared to bare.

Special Mention:
You know what’s so sad? That there is no good image of Farhan Akhtar without his shirt from Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara. And I just don’t get why there isn’t one. I eventually had to settle for this print screen image but even then, Farhu looks incredibly H.O.T. If it were possible to be any more desirable, Farhan has increased his hot factor with his shirtless act in ZNMD. He makes the cut but not quite and thus, receives a special mention this year.

5. Salman Khan
Is it possible to skip out on Salman Khan on a shirtless list? I think not. He is after all the godfather of not-wearing-shirts in India. This year we were literally gifted with one song in which he strips himself of his silky-satiny black shirt to expose his infamous chest. Sallu miyan is one lad who knows how to make the ladies go weak in their knees. His chest is by far the most popular in Bollywood. It could easily win an award of its own.

4. Ranveer Singh
In my opinion, he is one of the most overrated obnoxious wannabe actors of recent times. But there is no denying his newly exposed body. Not sure how he managed to work it so quickly but whatever it is, Ranveer Singh’s new hot bod has the young college ladki’s going fida over. Add to that his attitude, his sexy tan, a pretty bulgy package, and Ranveer is on his way to finding a huge fan following.

3. John Abraham
One of the only reasons to watch Desi Boyz and okay fine, even Force, this year was because it allowed us to look at a shirtless John Abraham. His acting is incredibly mediocre but this body, now that is quite a view. For me, it’s more Desi Boyz than Force which made me feel lightheaded. His stripping scene and pole action was quite the vision (read:sexy!). He can add hot chest to that perfect bubble butt of his now.

2. Arjun Rampal
He will and will always be a terrible boring substandard actor but Arjun Rampal hides a hot body behind his clothes. Lucky for us, we got to see a whole lot of it courtesy of Ra.One. He’s always been quite the fitness freak but it’s only now that we get to see Rampal exposing a bit more– he should really walk around shirtless a lot more. Abs, packs and muscle intact, Rampal sizzles. The movie is nothing short of a maha headache but his bare chest one reason to watch.

1. Hrithik Roshan
No one but India’s answer to the Greek Gods, Hrithik Roshan, can top this list. How on earth he is so fine, is beyond me but he does work out hard for that beefcake body. If it possible for anyone to get more toned, hotter, sexier as time goes on, then it’s Roshan alone. Besides him, there is really no other man in India who can walk around looking so darn perfect. He’s what I like to call, “Sex on toast…with extra butter.” Tell me you don't want him.

Guessing you need a tall glass of cold water? Go for it. As for me, well, I’ll have another sharam-free countdown for you to lose control over tomorrow.

All Garam, No Sharam Awards: Bringing Sexy Back!

The "All Garam, No Sharam Awards" of 2011 begins by counting down the top five hottest backs that have been displayed by our leading actresses this year. I had to begin with this one because a ladies back is easily one of the most underrated parts of her body. A woman who can cover up and put her back on for show says, "I'm confident and sexier than the rest." True story. Screw the boobs and booty, a sexy back is something else. Back to countdown- pun unintended, the criterion for this one was simple: silky, smooth, sexy.

6. Mahi Gill
She was supremely hot in both her films this year. However, it was Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster that made us all stand 'up' and take notice of Mahi Gill. She is one actress who has been exhibiting her sexy back in a variety of attires throughout her time as an actress, but in 2011 we saw her go Desi-glam with her last film. Of course, her backless sari blouses and cholis made the men swoon and sweat while women went green with envy.

5. Anushka Sharma
The otherwise conservative actress who chooses to keep herself rather covered in the past, let it go this year. Who woulda known Anushka Sharma had a sexy back? We’ve all seen her tiny waist but clearly she was hiding her lean back from us. I hear she also puts it all on for a look-see in Ladies v/s Ricky Bahl. But the question still remains unanswered: why was she hiding it? We may have not known but I know one person who definitely did: Ranveer Singh.

4. Katrina Kaif
Katrina has always had one; a sexy back that is. But she is really “bring it back” with her Maxim shoot. Now you've seen her in many avatars, but this one beats any one in my opinion. For those of you who thought she couldn't get hotter, check this out. And by the way, how silky mulayam is her back?

3. Deepika Padukone
It’s no surprise that D-Pad (what kinda moniker is that?) is on this list. You will probably see her again on another list later on but for now, check out a pink-cladded Deepika and her dress which goes down, down, down only to expose what is easily a beautiful back. P.S. She's one hottie who can really work that side cleavage too, no?

2. Bipasha Basu
You know what’s weird? We’ve practically seen every part of Bipasha’s hot body but how many times have you thought, “Wow! She’s bringing sexy back?” Never na? Neither. Our eyes wander all over Bips but let’s be nice and pay some appreciation to her back? Naturally, she works it and how. But that's what Bips does best; show and show some more.

1. Vidya Balan
After losing the Aunty tag (finally), it's Vidya Balan who takes the cake and the cherry this Dirty December. While she too will make more appearances in a few more countdowns, Ms. Balan is literally screaming come hither in her completely backless Desi avatar. Devoid of a sari blouse and draped in a white sari, she's working it and ain't no body complaining. Mind you, this is pre The Dirty Picture. Post, of course, we were "treated" (if you choose to call it that) to much more from the lady. But that was her jiggly side. This is her, toned and tan tana! 

While most will claim this one is for the men, ladies, you have to take a minute to hand it to these women for exhibiting a side that is not appreciated enough. Fine, that is hardly a good enough reason. So tomorrow, I promise a countdown especially for the ladies. Until then, be right back. Now that one is pun intended!

100 Word Review: Bol

Shoaib Mansoor’s Bol created quite the stir amongst critics and audiences. And for good reason. The film follows the life of a Hakim in Lahore who feels burdened when his wife constantly produces daughters. When his son arrives, he finds himself the father of a eunuch. Life gets harder as time goes on. The daughters are subjected to abuse and neglect before they finally revolt. The film addresses a number of social issues that occur in modern day Pakistan. Hard-hitting and how, Bol really makes an impact with its performances and story. A social film which makes you ponder and think.

13/7: Mumbai Strong; But For How Long?

It felt like a scene straight out of a Hindi movie. I woke up to voice mails and nonstop messages from friends letting me know that Mumbai had been attacked. Again. My heart literally went dhak-dhak; dhak-dhak; dhak-dhak. I jumped out of bed with a lump in my throat and crashed on my couch in front of the television. For a hard core Mumbaikar (at heart at least) like myself, sitting and watching your favorite city up in flames, courtesy of a series of coordinated bombs, from the opposite hemisphere is heart wrenching. I found myself  falling into 26/11 mode. Unhappy, angry, scared and furious, I heard the updates while my Mother called relatives and friends to check on their safety. Lucky for us, our loved ones were all safe and sound.

I have one question for the Indian government: can you or can't you protect your citizens? It is just not fair for Mumbaikars to deal with such incidents over and over again. Just because they happen to be a resilient city, this does not mean this vitality should be taken for granted.  Everyone has a breaking point. If you, the Indian government, cannot protect your taxpaying citizens, then either you step down so we can find an administration that will or you step it up. Trust me, there will come a point where the citizens of the country will hit their saturation point and then, they will take it upon themselves to protect their country. And if they revolt, you'll find yourself dealing with dire circumstances; one that will be harder to control.

The details will keep coming in and we'll hear from the government who 'condemn' the attacks. Of course you do! The five year-old kid down the street playing gaali cricket condemns it. Our government uses that word far too loosely, it really pisses me off. But where are our Marathi manoos? The Shiv Sena, as usual hibernating in their homes, will come out of their hiding tomorrow morning and tell us how 'upset' they are. No one will take responsibility and we'll go back to believing that we are safe. For now at least.And we'll have those Candlelight Vigils headed by Bollywood stars but what good will that do?

This time however, the panic was not insane. We saw Mumbaikars come out to help one another. Twitter was used effectively while the rumors were kept to a complete minimum. It was all information and for the first time, Social Media in India did not sensationalize a dire situation.

Personally, I don't know what to say this time around. Who do we blame? The terrorists? Why should we blame them. They know we aren't and can't be protected and thus, they attack us again and again. Or should we blame our government? The ones we vote for or really, don't vote for. It's times like this I always say, if you didn't vote, then you need to STFU. It's because of you - the educated non-voter, that we have a government that is incapable. And it's not the rich that suffers; it's the common man on the street who hurts the most. The man who decided to have a quick bhel puri at Zaveri Bazaar, who will never come home again.

Look, terrorism has no religion but we know where it's coming from. So where do we go from here?

Desi Girl Talks Cricket World Cup Final

March 30th, 2011:
India vs. Pakistan

I've decided to abandon my usual format for the semi-final and final World Cup matches. Why? Because both these matches deserve much more than sheer bullet points. So India went on to challenge the Pakistani side in their semi-final. Needless to say, the excitement and expectations of the match had every Indian and Pakistani reeling with passion. The Indians want the Men in Blue to win for a number of political and apolitical reasons while our neighbors perhaps wanted their side to win for alternate reasons ala winning on Indian turf. The scene was set and as the anthems were sung, both teams found themselves bombarded with pressure. Best place to find stats etc, is of course my one stop shop Castrol Cricket!

If you've watched the match, you know how it went down. With Dhoni choosing to rid the side of Ashwin and replacing him with Nehra, Indian fans all over, who consider themselves ultimate cricket gurus, couldn't fathom this team change.Why would Dhoni make such change? On a pitch like Mohali's which turned and how! Even the likes of Navjot Singh Sidhu found himself confused. However, we decided to take our chances and pray for the team.

With Sehwag setting the scene and hitting some seriously "item girl" like shots, his time at the crease was shortlived. And while the rest of the team fought tooth and nail, it was really Sachin who the whole world stood in awe of. No, he didn't score a century but the maestro found himself four times lucky. The Pakistani teams lackluster fielding allowed Sachin four lives until his luck finally struck out. However, while the experts suggested the pitch was easily a 300+ scoring the ground, that was clearly not the case. 260 was the final score for the Indian innings, but would that be enough? A friend of mine actually believed that the score was more than the team needed. "Mark my words," he said. "India is 30 runs over the score they need." This was quickly followed by Suresh Raina's remarks post the Indian innings, "Do not underestimate us," he said as he walked into the pavillion.

The Pakistanis walked in very positive; sure they would do this and how. From the get go, they hit some fabulous runs immediately until it all fell apart. The Indian fielding proved to really be on top of its game while the bowling was just plain HAPPENING. Every single Indian bowler was used to their advantage and between them managed to bring down the team.

India won and as a Desi girl, I couldn't be happier! Emotional. Happy. In all honesty, both teams really went out and did what they do best. But like one prominent Indian cricket writer said, "No team that drops Sachin Tendulkar three times, or was it four, deserves to win a crunch knock-out game." And the likes of Imran Khan agreed too. Look, at the end of the day, it's all about crucial wickets and if you are a point where you miss this wickets, then you can only blame yourself. Sadly, the Pakistani's, an otherwise pretty strong side, have nothing but their fielding and butter fingers to blame. 


What fascinated me most was the number of people who lost faith in the Indian team the minute Sachin went was out. I never doubted my team for a minute. In fact, I found myself convinced that the team would win. I find myself emotional just typing this piece out. I insist you take a read at my statuses on Facebook I kept updating as the match was going on followed by highlights of the match! If you don't have tears in your eyes, then I don't know what to tell you! 

Here's how it went down on Facebook:

And it beginss!!!!!!

Okay serious advice to Afridi: LEARN ENGLISH PRONTO!

My favorite men in blue followed by anthem! Always makes me tear....

Okay, tears wiped, here we go!!!!!

Tendla always gets the most cheers - rockstar!

Sehwag has officially called the shots people - now that is how you play to the apparently awesome Umer Gul.

Just felt like singing...OH JAANE DE JAANE DE THODI HAWA AANE DE :P

Hello Umer Gul, have you met Sehwag?

GOD is on the field! SRT baby!

Mess with SRT? Ab dekh!

If a cat has 9 lives, then hello, this is Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar!

If Saath Khoon is Maaf then for SRT, it's 7 OUT Maaf!

50 by the Master Blaster!! And he's just getting started!

It doesn't matter who wins or loses, as long we we win!

OW! They actually HELD ON to a catch!

Muahahah Sachin and Yuvi!!!

Ab toh jeet pakka!

Uh whatever people - SRT still best player in the world. I'd like to see ANY other player get so lucky.

Why is everyone losing faith already? Pakistan hasn't even come out to bat yet! Calm down.

More Power in the PowerPlay please!!!!!!!!!!!

It's not over till it's over!

"Do not underestimate us!" Says Raina. You got it dude!

Quick early wickets please Team India!

Shane Warne predicts India will win by 8 runs.

Sorry Pakistan but you'll NEVER be able to field like us. NEVER!

It's good to think you're good..but the best??? NO WAY!! I hear the next bus back home is in 15 mins, if you run Pakistan, you may make it!

World Champs ladies and gents! WORLD.CHAMPS!

To all my Pakistan friends, it's okay think you're good, but the best? Nah. And to all my Indian friends who lost hope, India will never let you down. Jai Hind! GO INDIA!

Yeah baby! Never underestimate the power of over 1 billion blessings!

Bleed Blue ONLY! Clearly that is key!

Halla Bol!

In almost a span of 48 hours, my New Year motto changed. I have resolutions yes, but I also tend to keep mottos for myself which sets the tone for the year. Last year it was simple: stay out of trouble. And I managed to keep to my motto in 2010. So I walked into 2011 with a my mind set in ZEN mode and thus my motto was simple: Que Sera Sera. It all seemed simple; stay away from trouble, create no havoc and basically let life throw lemons at me -- I was going to make some good ol' fashioned lemonade. But then, I thought to myself, "Is that really what you want?" And my soul screamed, "NO!" I'm not a zen-like person; no siree. I am a total Halla Bol kinda gal. I enjot some controversy and some drama in my life. Except this year (much like last) I'd like to keep all the drama related to my work and writing.

So don't expect diplomatic blog posts or articles. This year my posts are going to get more opinionated in a number of arenas from Bollywood to social reform and issues that plain irritate me. And so, as Ajay Devgn hollered, "Halla Bol!"

Oh and here's wishing everyone a fabulous 2011! Here's to peace, love and prosperity for the new year and a new decade.

Here We Are Again...

An entire year has passed literally like the blink of an eye. I remember starting out the year distressed and oppressed; unhappy and upset. And here I am 12 months later and I've never been happier. It's so interesting to see how time can heal wounds, fill voids and change your perception of life. 2010 was the year I grew up; "passed the age of innocence" as I've been told. I wish I could sit here and go on about how magical it was, but it was hardly that. However, it's been a year of self-discovery. I found myself and more importantly, I fell in love in 2010 - with myself! I've always heard people say, "Until and unless you love yourself, you'll never be able to love anyone else." It is only now I realize how true that statement is. And while I learnt to love myself for the good and bad, I learned to respect myself; to speak up, say no and most importantly insist on not taking any cr@p...from anyone.

As the year began, I was coming out of a tough situation. I fought long and hard with demons that wanted to bring me down. However, like many things in life, this too came to an end and I walked into a life of nonstop work. But that is what kept me going: my love for writing. I wrote and wrote. Blogs, articles, interviews, you name it, I did it. Fully absorbed in my admiration for the pen was when I realized how important I was to myself. So while I walk out of the year without a boyfriend, fiance or husband, I will never be the same girl I was on December 31st 2009. It almost feels like I was reborn in 2010 and I love it!

2010 was a year that I couldn't have gotten through without my friends. At every step of the way, my friends walked, ran and hopped with me. With their sound advice and guidance, I managed to get through a number of sticky situations. In fact, it was this year that I also went on to realize friends can know you for years and yet will bring you down...and how! I was verbally attacked on various occasions this year and while I was furious at the childish name calling, I was surprised at the support that came my way whether it was my family or friends, they all stood by me. So to those who called me a number of names I say a big-fat :P (that's a sticking-tongue-out emoticon). And in fact, bring it! I'm not afraid and nor will I retract what I write because that would mean I was wrong. I think about every article I write very carefully. So now, I will not fall at your feet. Deal with it. Don't expect me to write things you want to hear or like; it ain't happening.

Love was DOA (Dead On Arrival); i.e. non-existant in 2010 but bad health was everywhere. I managed to really get ill this year and the month of October tested my body to the maximum. After injuring my eye majorly (I still suffer on occasion - such are the repercussions) I managed to get a flu that turned into a sinus infection. It was then I realized what real pain and suffering was especially when I had a throbbing headache. But here I am, alive and kicking which goes to prove, nothing can bring you down unless you really let them.

Accomplishments were many but I'm still hungry for more and Lord knows if he blesses me, I will achieve all I want in 2011. This year I chose not to blog on 26/11 simply because I don't know what I could have said that I haven't said in the past. I came close to such an encounter on 26/11/2010. During my Thanksgiving break in Portland, Oregon, my family friends and I went to watch the lighting of the Christmas Tree in downtown Portland. And amidst the crowds and hoards of cars was a car bomb that thankfully didn't go off but the terrorist intended for it to kill as many people as possible. His car was parked at the corner where we were watching the lighting. He was caught and charged. So it's not just India, it the entire world that needs to get together to work on peace and social reform.

As for 2011, well I have my plans but as they say, "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans." That's a scary thought so I've decided to go with the flow. I'd like for the things to happen just the way I planned it but knowing my luck and life, God has other plans for me.