Shobhaa De: Dramarama!

If I’m politically incorrect then Shobhaa De is basically politically unfit to live on earth. What exactly is her deal? You know for the longest time, I heard people complain about her and never really agreed. For the most part, I agree with her statements, comments and opinions even. I agreed when she ousted Punit Malhotra and Sonam Kapoor for misbehaving on Twitter with her. It was wrong of them to call her an “old fossil” when all she did was giver her review for a film. And that is just one of many times I applauded her for being incredibly honest and not giving a crap. But recently, I find myself questioning her sense. It’s fine that you don’t agree with a situation or statement. That is normal. But to sit and tell people to then boycott a film? Now that is pushing the envelope. And I’m referring to Salman Khan’s situation with the Pakistani media regarding the so-called 26/11 comment he made that stirred up such controversy. I don’t think he intended to create such hysteria but of course, he is Salman Khan and even a small statement is blown out of proportion. You would think socialite and media queen Shobhaa De would have understood that. But nope, she goes and tweets that people should boycott Dabangg. What a drama queen move! What on earth does his film have to do with his comment? Fine, maybe I’m a huge Salman Khan fan but even then, her outburst was unnecessary.


There was an instance in the past where SRK called her,” she’s cynicism dressed in a designer sari.” At that point in time, I thought he was seriously in denial as usual. But looking back now, I can totally understand his reasoning for calling her a cynic. She seems to feel that beyond her and her opinions, no one else seems to matter. Look I’m not defending Salman. All I’m saying is everyone is entitled to an opinion. And thus, she has hers. However, is it fair to display it in this manner? I think not. Her new book is on the brink of release. God forbid she make a politically incorrect statement. Would she tell people to boycott her book? Probably not.

*Yawn* Gossip!

Bollywood is a strange world. And gossip that comes out of it daily can be sensational and sometimes even monotonous; read: same old. So what are those pieces of gossip that we hear repeatedly without them going stale? Check it out!


She's Pregnant!
Any actress that is married and is yet to conceive, finds herself in the midst of this major piece of gossip. All it takes is one sighting, one walk down the ramp or the fact that she is glowing, and boom, she is almost immediately pregnant. And for all you know, the actress may have just put on a teeny-tiny bit of weight but really that is not allowed! And so she must be pregnant.
Case Study: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan finds herself in the center of this particular one!

It's Over!
Yeah, the best of couples have had to endure this piece of gossip: the split story. They can be as honest and open about their relationship but they will no doubt be split up by the media for whatever reason. It can be another man or women, the fact that they haven't been seen together in a while or are seen in the presence of another star and badda-bing, the superstar and starlette are over!
Case Study: Priyanka Chopra and Shahid Kapoor are nonstop in the news for their alleged break ups.

Nip/Tuck
They've all done a bit but admit it? Hell no! That would be so wrong. So we hear rumors of too much botox on a prominent PZ and the nose job of one SS followed by the boob job of the very sexy BB. And when they get caught, they come out with fab excuses which they expect us to buy.
Case Study: Recently Salman Khan apparently got his under eye bags surgically removed; he claims its a mere scratch.

Saath-Saath
When news of break ups come, then news of new hook ups are always popping up. The minute a celebrity finds themselves in the "single" zone, the media takes it upon themselves to play matchmaker. And then they common statement that is seen in tabloids all over include "X and Y are rumored to be..." Fill in the blanks yourself!
Case Study: Sonam Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor, Punit Malhotra, Abhay Deol...

B*tch Fights
The actresses deny it and the media insists it happens. If they do or not, only the actresses will be able to tell you. Nowadays they all claim they are thorough professionals and get along with one another. And if they don't, well, they certainly are doing a helluva a job acting like they dote on one another.
Case Study: Once rivals, Kareena Kapoor and Bipasha Basu, have apparently made peace now with one another.

Bollywood Khabar

With so much going on in Bollywood this week, I had no choice but to cover a whole range of topics today! Hot off the press of course.

So apparently during the shooting of I Hate Luv Storys, Punit Malhotra changed Sonam Kapoor's name on his mobile phone from Sonam to Mom (all in hopes to throw people off) and later to Baby. Right. No love story for them. Uh Huh.

Arjun Rampal has a new puppy! And while he couldn't stop tweeting about his new pup, he claims the puppy is far too camera shy but his fans can wait for pictures in the coming days.

Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai is all set to release and while the film is already making waves, insiders claim that the love story between the couples, Ajay-Kangna and Emraan-Prachi are passionate and sexy!

Deepika Padukone was seen dining with Siddharth Mallya who was admitted into the hospital the very next day. Of course, they are "just friends man!"

No news from Kareena Kapoor in the last few days. Boo. I miss her!

Shobhaa De: You Go Girl!

I don't care what anyone calls Shobhaa De, she is what she is: honest. More recently, I have acquired an immense amount of respect for the well-known writer. She wasn't afraid to call a spade, a spade when she ousted Punit Malhotras DUMB love story. But little did she know that she would be humiliated by Punit Malhotra and Sonam Kapoor after they read her review of the film. Besides calling her a "fossil" who "wasn't getting any" which actually not only told critics that you weren't allowed to call out a film, i.e. do your job but also showed viewers how disgusting Punit Malhotra really is.

While I completely advocated for the lady here, I was thrilled to bits when she came out in her own defense condemning Punit Malhotra and the likes of him. Its a fab read! Oh and to top it off, Sonam Kapoor came out with a half-ass apology to Mrs. De -- you can ignore my politically correct media bite. Good publicity on your part Sonam, considering Aisha is on the brink of release and you desperately need a genuine hit to your name.

Ohhh and there is a new Twitter war between Rajeev Masand and Amitabh Bachchan. More on that tomorrow after I do some investigation!  What is up with the Bollywood clan using Twitter as a base for war? How childish.

On a side note, Octopus Baba, as he has been christened in India, has proven that he is the new almighty psychic. The Spaniards took gold last night making them FIFA Champs 2010. Viva Espana folks!

I Hate Love Luv Shove Storys! The "Real" Review

I Hate Luv Storys, which needs the byline, "A confused state of minds and hearts" is officially my least favorite love, sorry luv, whatever, romantic film. From the get-go one could tell that this film is dedicated to Imran Khan's fans -- female and male. Sonam Kapoor basically loiters around like pretty props and Punit Malhotra, Karan Johar wannabe, attempts to create a film that is pathbreaking. Fail. I don't want to get into the details of the plot and so on, if you want one of "those" reviews, look here. For the life of me, cannot understand why Malhotra would mock fun at classic love stories in a film which he most likely intended to be just that. For starters, it lacks a couple who has zing and chemistry, yes yet again that overused word appears. When you think back to romantic films which starred new pairs, Juhi-Aamir, Shah Rukh-Kajol, Madhuri-Anil, you saw some serious chemistry, biology, physics! The works. Imran and Sonam lack that quality. In fact, they look anything but attracted to each other. In the film, Khan tells Sonam at one point, "I never looked at you that way. You're just a friend." Rightly said Imran. Keep your relationship to friendship on and off screen.

The problem with IHLS is it basically lacks direction in the film. It goes back and forth between both characters realizing they are in love, wait, not they're not. Oh wait, yes they are. Hello! Are you or aren't you? This very back-and-forth of their feelings really began to get incredibly frustrating. And then, the music wasn't placed correctly. In the first half, they come one after the other. In the second half, they are bit more spread out but again so repetitive. Complete injustice done to Vishal-Shekhar who have easily come out with one of the best albums of 2010. In terms of choreography, the title song is fun while Sadka Kiya is yet another sari-sweater-scenic number. Typical. Blah.

As a director, Punit looks far too much like a wannabe Karan Johar. He has the new millennium Johar written all over him. If you're a K-Jo fan, this is great news. If you're not...well then, no comments. Even parts of the script have the Dharma Prod. stamp print. Post Dostana, Johar can't come away from the Gay innuendos. You will find a few in IHLS. Yes, for some reason, this is a popular subject in the Dharma camp. Ahem. The movie talks about how cliched and non-realistic Hindi romantic films are. And away from the set scenes, it houses a number of over the top cliched scenes. The mother-son break down scene is one prime example.

Okay performances. Imran tries soooooooooooo hard. Yes, that hard.And you know what, it wasn't bad. I actually liked him in this film. The film is basically centered on him. IHLS = Imran Khan. Sonam is well, typical Sonam. Okay, maybe she improved by a fraction but even then, nothing award worthy. Nothing about the film screams awards by the way. As a pair, this one should be refrained. Do not repeat. Her clothes should be repeated though. She looked fresh and radiant to her advantage. Sameer Dattani got on my nerves which is rather sad since he is pretty talented. The dude who played Kunal, Imran's sidekick was awesome! He wore some great tee's, drew up some fab graphs on love and women and was pretty darn funny.

Listen, IHLS is not path-breaking. It doesnt make you think about love and I definitely do prefer my classic Hindi films over this supposedly modern day flick. Its chicky and if you fit in the age bracket of 16 to the mushy-gushy type, then this is your pick for the month. But take my word, listen to the songs and create better love stories of your own. 

I think I'll sit and watch Maine Pyar Kiya again tonight. Yes, its cheesy but at least it was allowed in the eighties. Over and out.